Advisory panel critical of OSHA proposal to regulate infectious disease exposure

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration should not proceed with a potential rule for occupational exposure to infectious diseases in health care and other related work settings unless it has risk data to justify a new regulation, according to a final report submitted by an advisory review panel of the U.S. Small Business Administration. The report rec¬ommends that OSHA consider other regu¬latory and non-regulatory alterna-tives, and assess each particular work setting to determine the level of risk associated with it. Most small entity representatives, including several AHA members, who provided input to the Small Business Advocacy Review Panel said they already do what OSHA would mandate. In a 2010 letter to OSHA, AHA said hospitals have effective and comprehensive programs in place that integrate the need to protect patients and health care personnel from infectious diseases, and there is no need for an additional standard.