U.S. Department of Labor | ||||||
Occupational Safety & Health Administration |
Standard Interpretations
02/28/1997 - EPA-Registered disinfectants for HIV/HBV. |
Standard Interpretations - Table of Contents |
Standard Number: | 1910.1030 |
February 28, 1997
The National Office sent a memorandum dated November 1, 1996, on the same subject matter as stated above. It concerned recent inquiries from companies who manufacture and/or supply a disinfectant product(s) approved by the EPA as a disinfectant for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Hepatitis B virus (HBV). These companies had asked whether EPA-registered products with the new EPA label would be an "appropriate disinfectant" under OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens standard. The earlier memo stated the product could be used under limited conditions, where HIV and HBV were the only pathogens of concern. Following receipt of materials offering further support for use of these products, OSHA has reconsidered the limitations in the memorandum of November 1, 1996, and has decided that the policy that requires the use of EPA-registered tuberculocidal disinfectants and/or a diluted bleach solution to decontaminate contaminated work surfaces will be expanded to include EPA-registered disinfectants that are labeled as effective against HIV and HBV, provided such surfaces have not become contaminated with agent(s) or volumes of or concentrations of agent(s) for which higher level disinfection is recommended. As is true with all disinfectant products, the effectiveness is governed by strict adherence to the instructions on the label. For example, the EPA-approved label on one of these products has a section titled "SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR CLEANING AND DECONTAMINATION AGAINST HIV-1 AND HBV OF SURFACES/OBJECTS SOILED WITH BLOOD/BODY FLUIDS." These instructions required:
If you have further questions, please contact [the Office of Health Enforcement at 202 693-2190]. [Corrected 2/10/2005] |
Standard Interpretations - Table of Contents |
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