Health Hazard Evaluation Report: HETA-93-0365-2421: Spectrum Health Care, Inc.; Newark, New Jersey

Details

• Personal Author:
  Buchta, Teresa M. ; Hoekstra, Edward J.
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  In response to a request from the management at Spectrum Health Care Inc. (SIC-8093), Newark, New Jersey, an investigation was begun into the potential for tuberculosis transmission resulting from contact with the client population. Administrative and engineering controls used to reduce worker exposures to Mycobacterium-tuberculosis were examined. Spectrum was a nonprofit organization, operating as an outpatient methadone maintenance and detoxification center. Treatment was provided for cocaine and heroin addicts. About 700 clients used the facility over the past year. The center employed physicians, social workers, nurses, and clerical staff. At least 67 tuberculin skin tests on clients yielding positive results. Of the 55 employees, eight had a positive skin test prior to employment, and three others tested positive on the initial skin test. Of the remaining 44, three employees converted to a positive skin test during their work at the center. These three performed different job tasks, and converted at different times. Air mixing occurred among all areas of the center, and 100% of the air was recirculated. The authors conclude that a potential hazard existed for workers exposed to clients who have active tuberculosis. The author recommends that the ventilation systems, the use of personal protective equipment and the skin testing program should be improved.
• Subjects:
  Bacterial Infections Communicable Diseases Health Care Facilities Workforce And Services Health Personnel Occupational Health Safety Skin
• Keywords:
  Bacterial-infections Drug Treatment Center Hazard-Confirmed Health-care-facilities Health-care-personnel HETA-93-0365-2421 Infection-control Infectious-diseases Methadone Mycobacterium Tuberculosis NIOSH-Author NIOSH-Health-Hazard-Evaluation NIOSH-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Not Elsewhere Classified OSHA Region 2 Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Not Elsewhere Classified TST Tuberculin Skin Test Tuberculosis Ventilation VentilationTechnical-Assistance-Report

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• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• Subseries:
  Health Evaluation and Technical Assistance (HETA)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHHETA9303652421
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  New Jersey ; OSHA Region 2
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  22 pdf pages
• Contributor:
  Burton, Nancy C.
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00220831
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB94-210093
• Citation:
  Cincinnati, Ohio: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, HETA 93-0365-2421, 1994 May ; :1-19
• Editor(s):
  Blythe, Ellen E.
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1994
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  8093 - Specialty outpatient clinics, not elsewhere classified - (SIC)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:552a3406c4cf460fc5c65b02e5c811b7090c665237898fdaec184a50e4542c981a6c885a2034cd6b34fbf89a41d08a165a3b2fff821445259a7c9d980f363cf5
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/171364/cdc_171364_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 3.79 MB ]