On September 1, 2010, new California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal/OSHA) standards take effect requiring employers to protect employees from aerosol transmissible diseases (ATDs). ATDs are those that require “droplet precautions” or “airborne infection isolation.” The new standards cover health care facilities, including hospitals, nursing facilities, clinics, medical offices, long-term care facilities, emergency services and transport providers, and other defined high-risk workplaces.

Under the new standards, covered employers are required to offer influenza, measles, mumps, rubella, Tdap, and varicella vaccines to their employees. (Currently, covered employers are only required to provide the seasonal flu vaccine.) Employees who decline these vaccines must complete declination statements. The new standards also require employers to provide powered air-purifying respirators to employees who perform high-hazard procedures.

These new standards are in addition to the standards that took effect last August that require employers to have written infection control procedures in place. The written infection control plan must include, among other things, a list of all high-hazard procedures performed in the facility, a respiratory protection plan, procedures for identifying, isolating, and transferring potentially exposed individuals, and detailed procedures to follow in the event of an exposure incident.

CMA is currently developing resources to help physicians comply with the new requirements. In the interim, visit the Department of Industrial Relations for more information.

Contact: Veronica Ramirez, 916/551-2887 or vramirez@cmanet.org.