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Effective strategies for controlling and preventing worker exposure to TB bacteria depend on the risk of exposure and the work tasks performed. Appropriate precautions are critical to protect high-risk workers exposed to TB. Solutions that may be helpful in preventing TB are early identification, isolation, and treatment of people with TB.
Some workers are at risk for exposure to TB bacteria, including healthcare workers, correctional and detention facility workers, homeless service center workers, workers who travel internationally, workers who live or work in shared housing, workers who interact with people from countries with high rates of TB, and workers that work around or handle elephants.
There is no specific OSHA Standard for Valley Fever. However, the General Duty Clause, Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act of 1970, 29 USC 654(a)(1) requires employers to furnish each worker "employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm".
Effective strategies for controlling and preventing worker exposure to Valley Fever depend on the risk of exposure and the work tasks performed. Appropriate precautions are critical to protect high-risk workers in endemic areas. There is no vaccine for Valley Fever, but employers can take steps to minimize the risk of acquiring an infection.
Valley Fever (Coccidioidomycosis) is an illness caused by the soil fungus Coccidioides that lives and grows in the Western United States. There were approximately 17,500 (reported) infections diagnosed in the US in 2022, with the greatest number diagnosed in California and Arizona.
U.S. Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Washington, D.C. 20210
Reply to the attention of:
OCT 19 2016
