Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has created a new Ebola web page with information about protecting workers in high-risk industries, including healthcare.
OSHA is being urged to move forward with an infectious-disease rule on the docket since 2010, according to an article on the Modern Healthcare website.
The new website includes guidance for workers tasked with cleaning surfaces that may be contaminated with the Ebola virus, including the type of protective equipment needed (like nitrile gloves, fluid resistant gowns and face-shields), and proper disinfectants and waste-removal procedures.
In June, OSHA announced plans to review possible infection-control regulations, an initiative that began around 2010. The American Industrial Hygiene Association called on the agency to speed it up, the article said.
When asked earlier this month whether the Ebola outbreak would speed up the process for a potential infectious-disease rule, OSHA official Jordan Barab acknowledged the need for OSHA involvement, according to the article. But he said Ebola fears are not likely to trump the regulatory process.
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