Infectious diseases - California

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) has separate state requirements for employers whose employees may be exposed to infectious diseases in the workplace.

California’s Aerosol Transmissible Diseases (ATD) standard requires employers to have written safety plans, provide training, and provide personal protective equipment as needed to employees who may be exposed to ATDs in the workplace.

Examples of ATDs include tuberculosis, influenza, measles, and whooping cough. Cal/OSHA maintains a list of diseases and pathogens that are aerosol transmissible.

Some categories of employers are more likely to have employees exposed to ATDs, such as hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, laboratory facilities, correctional facilities, homeless shelters, and more. However, any employer could be required to implement precautions when necessary. Certain employers that offer medical services not related to ATDs, such as dental clinics and medical specialty practices, may not need to comply with the regulation if they meet certain conditions.

Affected employers need to ensure the following are in place:

• A written ATD exposure control plan that contains all necessary elements as found in CCR §5199(d);
• Engineering and work practice controls to minimize employee exposure to ATDs, per CCR §5199(e);
• Employer-provided personal protective equipment to be used when engineering and work practice controls are not sufficient to control exposure;
• A training program in which all employees who are exposed to ATDs must participate, per CCR §5199(i).

There are many additional details to these requirements and exceptions, depending on the type of employer and the different conditions employees may be exposed to.

Related information

• Pandemic flu | J. J. Keller® Compliance Network (jjkellercompliancenetwork.com)
• Aerosol transmissible diseases

Citations

• California CCR §5199 Aerosol Transmissible Diseases
• Federal regulation 29 USC 654