What can be done to prevent the spread of tuberculosis?
The following steps to prevent worker exposure to tuberculosis are based on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) proposed standard on TB and guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the prevention of tuberculosis in hospitals, prisons, and other settings. • Exposure Control Plan: Identifies workers that are exposed to TB and which tasks or procedures can cause exposure. The risk assessment includes finding out the number of TB cases that are in the community being served, or are likely to enter a facility from other jurisdictions. Health departments keep track of TB case rates. • Prompt Identification of Confirmed and Suspected Cases: Screening programs to identify contagious individuals in hospitals, long-term care facilities, prisons, and other institutions. Identification of TB cases is made through medical examinations, skin tests, and laboratory tests. • Prompt Isolation of Confirmed and Suspected Cases: Move patients, inmates
