TB


	Protect Yourself Against Tuberculosis -- A Respiratory Protection Guide for Health Care Workers

A NIOSH Educational Document

If you need additional information, you can contact NIOSH at:

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Publications Dissemination
4676 Columbia Parkway
Cincinnati, OH 45226-1998

FAX number: (513) 533-8573
or
visit the NIOSH Home Page on the World Wide Web at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/homepage.html

December 1995

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 96-102

The PDF version is also available as 96-102.pdf (32 pages, 462K).

FOREWORD

The use of respirators in health care is a relatively new but important step in the efforts to prevent the transmission of TB. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) created "Protect Yourself Against Tuberculosis -- A Respiratory Protection Guide for Health Care Workers" to answer questions about respirator use in the health care industry. This booklet is designed to serve as a quick reference for health care workers employed in a variety of settings and with varied educational backgrounds. It should be regarded as a complement to, not a substitute for, the required respiratory protection program.

NIOSH is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) within the Department of Health and Human Services and is the federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injuries and illnesses. NIOSH is also responsible for certifying respirators used in the workplace.

In June of 1995 NIOSH updated its respirator certification requirements. As a result new respirators used for the prevention of TB provide better protection to health care workers and are considerably less expensive. Call 1-800-35-NIOSH for more information on the new respirator standard or to request a complimentary copy of "The NIOSH Guide to the Selection and Use of Particulate Respirators Certified Under 42 CFR 84."

[signature]
Linda Rosenstock, M.D., M.P.H.
Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention