HIPAA's patient privacy requirements in effect

Passed by Congress in 1996, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) covers all health care organizations. This includes all health care providers, health plans, employers public health authorities, life insurers, clearinghouses, billing agencies, information systems vendors, service organizations and universities. 

The goal of the act is to promote administrative simplification of health care transactions and to ensure the privacy and security of patient information. HIPAA is comprised of three distinct parts: transaction standards, security regulations, and privacy/confidentiality regulations. 

HIPAA components 
Transaction standards: HIPAA’s transaction standards call for the use of common electronic claims standards, common code sets and unique identifiers for all health care payers and providers. Today, health providers and plans use many different electronic formats. Implementing a national standard will mean those covered by HIPAA will all use one format, thereby simplifying and improving transaction efficiency nationwide. Congress estimated that standardizing the electronic communication formats will save covered entities $29.9 billion over 10 years. The transactions rules became effective Oct. 16, 2000. The compliance date for this portion of HIPAA is Oct. 16, 2003. 

Security regulations: The security regulations of HIPAA dictate the kind of administrative procedures and physical safeguards covered entities must have in place to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of protected health information. The security regulations will provide a uniform level of protection of all health information that is housed or transmitted electronically and that pertains to an individual. These rules were not finalized as of January 2003, but it’s anticipated that they will be finalized during 2003 with compliance being mandated sometime during 2004. 

Privacy/confidentiality regulations 
HIPAA’s privacy/confidentially regulations became effective April 14, 2003 for most covered entities. Small health plans—those with annual receipts of $5 million or less—have until April 14, 2004 to comply. 

The privacy rule protects individually identifiable health information. Protected patient information includes: 

• Name 
• Specific dates—birth, admission, discharge, death 
• Telephone number 
• Social Security number, medical record number 
• Photographs 
• City, zip code and other geographic identifiers 

Five principals 
To accomplish its objective, HIPAA established five basic principles or rules that must be addressed by covered entities: 

• Consumer control 
• Boundaries 
• Security 
• Accountability 
• Public responsibility 

Consumer control: Under this rule, patients have significant new rights to understand and control how their health information is used. Health care providers must provide patients with a clear written explanation of how they use, keep and disclose patient health information. In addition, patients must also have access to their medical records. 

The consumer control measures also restrict the release of certain information without patient consent and ensures the patient consent is not coerced (i.e. providers and health plans cannot condition treatment on a patient’s agreement to disclose health information for nonroutine uses). Patients are also provided with recourse options should they feel their confidentiality has been violated under the consumer control measures.

Boundaries: This rule restricts the use of patient health information for medical purposes only. Patient heath information cannot be used by employers to make personnel decisions or by financial institutions without permission from the individual. 

Security: This rule establishes patient information confidentiality standards that covered entities must meet, but leaves the detailed policies and procedures for meeting the standards to the discretion of the covered entity. 

Covered entities must have written privacy procedures in place. The procedures must identify who has access to protected information and how the information will be used. Patient privacy awareness training is also required for employees who have access to confidential information and covered entities are required to establish a privacy officer who’s responsible for ensuring established procedures are followed. 

In addition to implementing privacy procedures, covered facilities must establish a grievance process for patients to follow if they believe their privacy has been compromised. 

Accountability: Under this rule, civil and criminal penalties are established for the misuse of personal health information. Civil fines for improper release or use of patient information start at $100 per incident; criminal penalties carry fines of up to $250,000 and 10 years in prison. 

Public responsibility: In certain instances (national priority activities and activities that allow the health care system to operate more smoothly), health information can be disclosed without patient authorization. Within certain guidelines detailed under this rule, covered entities may disclose information for: 

• Oversight of the health care system, including quality assurance activities 
• Public health 
• Research, generally limited to when a waiver of authorization is independently approved by a privacy board or Institutional Review Board 
• Judicial and administrative proceedings 
• Limited law enforcement activities 
• Emergency circumstances 
• For identification of the body of a deceased person or to determine the cause of death 
•  
• For facility patient directories 
• For activities related to national defense and security 

The rule allows for, but does not require, disclosure under these instances. If there is no law requiring that information be disclosed, physicians and hospitals will still have to make judgments about whether to disclose information, in light of their own policies and ethical principles. 

HIPAA—a national standard 
HIPAA’s privacy requirements are designed to establish a national standard for patient information confidentiality. HIPAA preempts state law except: 

• Where the state law is necessary to prevent fraud and abuse 
• To ensure state insurance or health plan regulation 
• To address controlled substances or for certain other purposes 
• When state law is more stringent than HIPAA requirements 

In terms of the financial impact of implementing HIPAA, Congress noted in 1996 when the bill was signed into law that HIPAA will save money for the health care industry over the longhaul. Congress said the savings provided by the standardization of electronic forms would more than offset any cost incurred by implementing the privacy requirements of HIPAA. 

Additional information regarding HIPAA is available through Lab Safety Supply’s HIPAA Resource Center at www.labsafety.com.

Back to Contents

New ANSI standards for confined spaces, MSDs

A number of new or revised American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards are due to be released in 2003. Two important standards due to be issued are “Safety Requirements for Confined Spaces” (ANSI A117.1) and “Management of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders” (ANSI Z365). 

“Safety Requirements for Confined Spaces” provides minimum safety requirements to be followed while entering, exiting and working in confined spaces at normal atmospheric pressure. It does not pertain to underground mining, tunneling, caisson work or other similar tasks that have established national consensus standards. 

The standard, originally issued in 1995, has been made stronger for 2003. Major changes have been made to the instrumentation and rescue provisions areas. Technology changes that have taken place in the last eight years are reflected. For example, there are now provisions on continuous monitoring and two-way radio communication with workers inside the confined space. 

After years of work, the “Management of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders” standard will likely be released in 2003. The standard offers a work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) management program that addresses employer responsibilities, employee and manager training, employee involvement, surveillance, evaluation and management of WMSDs cases, job analysis and job design and intervention. 

Additional information on these and other ANSI standards can be obtained online at www.ansi.org by calling 1-212-642-4900.

 Back to Contents

How to avoid West Nile Virus

It’s that time of year again. Summer is upon us and outdoor recreation, picnics, sports and work activities are taking center stage. And mosquitoes are sharing that stage. 

Not only do we have to put up with the nuisance of mosquitoes, we also have to be aware of the West Nile virus. The principle route of human infection with West Nile virus is through the bite of an infected mosquito. 

Most people who become infected with West Nile virus have either no symptoms or only mild ones. However, on rare occasions (one in 150 persons), West Nile virus infection can result in severe and sometimes fatal illnesses. 

Mild symptoms include fever, headache, body aches, swollen lymph glands and occasionally a skin rash on the trunk of the body. Symptoms of mild disease will generally last a few days. 

The symptoms of severe infection include headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness and paralysis. Symptoms of severe disease may last several weeks and the neurological effects may be permanent. 

Here are a few preventative measures that can be taken to reduce the risk of West Nile virus infection: 

1. Protect yourself from mosquito bites. 

• Apply insect repellent sparingly to exposed skin. Whenever using insect repellent, read and follow the manufacturer’s directions for use as printed on the product. The more N, N diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET) a repellent contains, the longer time it can protect you from mosquitoes. 
• Spray clothing with repellents containing permethrin or DEET, since mosquitoes may bite through thin clothing. 
• When possible, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors. 
• Place mosquito netting over infant carriers. 
• Consider staying indoors at dawn, dusk and early evening— these are peak mosquito times. 
• Install or repair window and door screens so mosquitoes cannot get indoors. 

2. Drain sources of standing water to reduce the number of places mosquitoes can lay their eggs and breed. 

When planning to work outside or enjoy outdoor activities, take precautions to protect yourself from those pesky mosquitoes. Take precautions to protect yourself from those pesky mosquitoes

Back to Contents

Building owners, window cleaners affected by ANSI standard

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard for window cleaning (I-14.1) directly affects building owners and window cleaners. Building owners are required to provide safe buildings from which to work. Window cleaners must ply their trade within specific guidelines. 

Roof anchors 
Portions of tall buildings with windows that cannot be reached from the ground must rely on roof suspension equipment and techniques, most of which require roof anchors. Under ANSI I-14.1, buildings without roof anchors must have anchors retrofitted by a registered professional engineer and must be inspected annually by a qualified person. 

Plan of Service 
The “Plan of Service” is a document that becomes part of the building’s design for its window cleaning. It must be prepared by a window cleaning contractor, consultant or an engineer. It must specify how each worker’s fall protection tieback will be placed for the descent and protection for the public below must be included. 

Rope descent systems 
A common high-rise façade access technique used by window cleaners is the rope descent system (RDS), which employs a tieback anchor or suspension apparatus on the roof, fiber lines, a seat board with a rope friction descender and independent vertical lifelines tied back on the roof. Window cleaners using RDS must use roof anchors that are identified in the plan of service. 

Fall protection 
Workers exposed to falls must be provided some form of barrier protection (guard rails or parapets), or they must have roof anchors or other approved means to which they can secure personal fall protection gear. For more information on the standard, go online at www.ansi.org or call 1-212-642-4900.

 Back to Contents

Emergency temporary standard affects mine evacuations

During the past three years, at least 15 miners have died in two separate accidents as a result of faulty mine evacuations. 

On July 31, 2000, four explosions occurred at the Willow Creek mine in Carbon County, Utah. The initial explosion and subsequent fire occurred seven minutes before the later explosion, which killed two miners. Although firefighting activities began almost immediately after the first explosion, evacuation procedures didn’t and conditions worsened before the fatal explosion. After careful review, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) determined that if the decision to evacuate had been made sooner, the fatalities might not have occurred. 

On Sept. 23, 2001, two explosions occurred at the Jim Walter Resources Inc. No. 5 mine in Tuscaloosa, Ala., resulting in 13 fatalities. An initial roof fall and explosion at 5:20 p.m. resulted in injuries to four miners. One of the four was severely injured and couldn’t be moved. Miners from other parts of the mine responded in an uncoordinated effort. The second explosion occurred at 6:15 p.m. It’s unclear whether the miner immobilized by the first explosion died as a result of the first or second explosion, but it is certain that 12 miners died when the second explosion occurred as they were attempting to reach the injured miner. 

The MSHA accident investigation report determined that in addition to not following proper evacuation procedures after the initial explosion, a full mine evacuation was never initiated. Also, no gas detection equipment was found on any of the miners or during the underground investigation in the affected section. MSHA’s accident report concluded that the lack of training and the failure to conduct fire and emergency drills relative to proper evacuation procedures “affected the miners’ response” to the emergency situation. 

Following the tragedies at the Willow Creek mine and the Jim Walter Resources Inc. No. 5 mine, MSHA utilized a rarely used provision of federal mine safety law to issue an emergency temporary standard (ETS) covering emergency evacuations in all underground coal mines. 

For each shift that miners are working underground, the ETS requires the coal mine operators to designate a responsible person in attendance at the mine to take charge during mine emergencies, such as fires, explosions, and gas or water inundation emergencies. 

The designated person must have current knowledge of various mine systems that protect the safety and health of miners. The responsible person must initiate and conduct an immediate mine evacuation when there is a mine emergency that presents an imminent danger to miners. Only properly trained and equipped persons essential to respond to the emergency may remain underground. 

The ETS also broadens the existing requirements for a program of instruction for firefighting and evacuation to address fire, explosion, and gas or water inundation emergencies. Mine operators must adopt an instruction program that incorporates these emergencies into existing approved firefighting and evacuation plans and must train miners in those procedures. 

Finally, the ETS revises the training requirements to reflect that annual refresher training includes a review of mine fire, explosion, and gas or water inundation emergency evacuation and firefighting plans in effect at the mine. 

The ETS became effective Dec. 12, 2002. It is in effect for a period of nine months. During this nine-month period, the ETS also acts as a proposed rule. MSHA will publish a mandatory safety standard at the end of the nine months. For more information, visit the MSHA Web site at www.msha.gov.

 Back to Contents

Tips to foil burglars

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), burglars break into apartments, condominiums or houses every 11 seconds. Here’s a checklist of things to do to fend off criminals: 

• Light up all entry points— doors and windows. Consider outdoor motion-detection lights. 
• Use timers to turn your lights, radios and televisions on and off. 
• Secure doors and windows— choose exterior doors made of solid metal or wood. 
• Install heavy-duty deadbolt locks on doors. 
• Use door and window locks. 
• Close the garage door and always lock the door to an attached garage. 
• Close curtains and blinds at night. 
• Ask to see identification should a stranger show up at the door. 
• Keep an eye on repair people and meter readers. 
• Trim outside bushes so a prowler can’t hide easily. 
• Ask neighbors to keep an eye out for each other’s property. 

During vacations or business travel: 

• Stop newspaper delivery.
• Have someone pick up your mail. 
• Make the home look occupied —keep some shades and blinds up, keep a car parked in the driveway and have the lawn and walks maintained. 
• Use a business address and telephone number on luggage rather than a home address. 

Pinpoint weak spots in home security by sizing up the home the way a burglar would. Then take the steps needed to deter criminals.

 Back to Contents

Updated CPR guidelines for rescuers who aren't health care professionals

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a first-aid technique used to keep victims of cardiac arrest alive and to prevent brain damage while more advanced medical help is on the way. CPR keeps blood flowing throughout the body and keeps air flowing in and out of the lungs. 

The American Heart Association released new guidelines for CPR and emergency cardiac care in 2000. These guidelines, “Guidelines 2000 for CPR/Emergency Cardiovascular Care,” are aimed at streamlining CPR, getting more people trained and increasing the use of automated defibrillators. 

Updated guidelines 
Nonprofessional rescuers are to check for signs of circulation rather than a pulse when determining whether to perform chest compressions. Studies have shown that a significant share of lay rescuers thought a victim had a pulse when he or she did not. This sometimes resulted in a victim not getting CPR when it was needed. 

Instead of checking for a pulse, lay rescuers are now trained to look for signs of circulation—movement in response to stimulation, coughing or any other sign of breathing. Checking for a pulse remains a step for health care providers performing CPR. 

Rescuers are to administer 15 chest compressions for every two breaths, regardless of whether one or two rescuers are performing CPR. Previously, the ratio was five to one when two rescuers were involved. 

Rescuers should begin CPR on an unconscious adult choking victim, but should no longer perform abdominal thrusts or blind finger sweeps of the mouth first. 

Lastly, rescuers should administer electric shock by defibrillator within five minutes for out-of-hospital sudden cardiac victims.

Back to Contents

FMCSA works to prevent commercial vehicle fatalities, injuries

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) was established within the Department of Transportation (DOT) on Jan. 1, 2000. Prior to that, it was a part of the Federal Highway Administration. Its primary mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries. 

The FMCSA’s compliance reviews and enforcement activities and the states’ roadside inspection activities are the principal tools used to ensure that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and the Federal Hazardous Materials Regulations are enforced. 

Another tool is the Performance and Registration Information Systems Management program PRISM). PRISM is a Federal and state partnership. Through PRISM, compliance reviews are conducted on unsafe motor carriers and their safety performance is monitored and tracked. If the high-risk carriers continue to demonstrate poor performance, a Federal Operations Out-of-Service Order/unfit determination in conjunction with the suspension and/or revocation of vehicle registration privileges may result. 

The FMCSA develops, issues and evaluates standards for testing and licensing commercial motor vehicle drivers. These standards require states to issue a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) only after drivers pass knowledge and skill tests that pertain to the type of vehicle operated. States are audited every three years. Failure to comply with the federal standards can result in a loss of federal funding. 

For more information on the FMCSA, visit its Web site at www.fmcsa.dot.gov/index.htm

Other FMCSA duties and responsibilities

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is also responsible for: 

• Licensing and insurance responsibilities for for-hire motor carriers. 
• Collecting, indexing, analyzing and disseminating safety data concerning motor carriers. 
• Identifying, coordinating and administering research and development to enhance the safety of motor carrier operations, commercial motor vehicles and commercial motor vehicle drivers. 
• Supporting programs to improve the safety performance of motor carriers operating in border areas. 
• Participating in international technical organizations and committees to share best practices in motor carrier safety. 
• Enforcing regulations for the safe transportation of hazardous materials by highway. 
• Enforcing rules governing the manufacture and maintenance of cargo tank motor vehicles. Identifying and investigating household goods carriers that have exhibited a substantial pattern of consumer abuse.

Back to Contents

Revised ISEA statement affects verification of portable gas monitor calibration

The International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) has issued a revised position statement on calibration verification for direct reading portable gas monitors used in confined spaces. 

The statement was developed to ensure consistency in all documentation and to emphasize the need to verify calibration when using portable gas monitors in confined spaces. 

The statement: 

• Clarifies the differences between a full calibration and a functional test. 
• Clarifies when daily tests are needed and when less frequent tests may be appropriate. 
• Reemphasizes to OSHA and other standards-writing bodies the importance of verifying the calibration of instruments used to monitor the atmosphere in potentially hazardous locations. 

Verification methods 
A functional, or bump, test is a means of verifying calibration by using a known concentration of test gas to demonstrate that an instrument’s response to the test gas is within acceptable limits. 

During a full calibration, a test gas of known concentration is applied to the monitor to see if the instrument’s response matches the known value of the test gas. If it doesn’t, the instrument is adjusted to match the known value of the test gas. 

Calibration frequency 
A functional test or full calibration of direct reading portable gas monitors shall be made before each day’s use in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and using the appropriate test gas. 

Any instrument that fails a functional test must be adjusted by means of a full calibration procedure before further use. 

If environmental conditions that could affect instrument performance are present, e.g. sensor poisons, then verification of calibration should be made on a more frequent basis. 

If conditions do not permit daily calibration testing, less frequent verification may be appropriate, if the following criteria are met: 

• During a period of initial use of at least 10 days in the intended atmosphere, calibration is verified daily to be sure there is nothing in the atmosphere that is poisoning the sensor(s). The periods of initial use must be long enough to ensure that the sensors are exposed to all conditions that might have an adverse effect on the sensors. 
• If the test demonstrates that it is not necessary to make adjustments, then the time interval between checks may be lengthened, but should not exceed 30 days. 
• The history of the instrument since the last verification can be determined by assigning one instrument to one worker or by establishing a user tracking system, such as an equipment use log.

Back to Contents

Make a note: there's a new Poison Control Center phone number

The American Association of Poison Control Centers has established a single telephone number to reach local poison control centers: 800-222-1222. Callers are automatically connected to the poison center nearest to them. 

These centers are equipped and staffed to answer poisoning questions pertinent to the territory and to direct callers to local health care centers and experts. 

Follow these steps if someone ingests, inhales or touches a poisonous substance or splashes something in his or her eyes: 

1. Don’t panic! 
2. If you suspect a poisoning, bring the container to the phone and call 800-222-1222 immediately. 
3. Follow the poison center’s advice. 

* * * * * * 

For more information, please see: 
www.nsc.org 
www.aap.org 
www.aapcc.org 
www.apcc.aspca.org 
www.poisonprevention.org 
www.18002221222.info

 Back to Contents

	Ask a Tech Rep - Smallpox Basics
	by Michelle Technical Representative
Q.	What is smallpox?
A.	Smallpox is a very serious, contagious and sometimes fatal infectious disease caused by the variola virus. The name “smallpox” is derived from the Latin word for “spotted” and refers to the raised bumps that appear on the face and body of an infected person.
Q.	What are the symptoms of smallpox?
A.	The symptoms of smallpox begin with high fever (101°–104°F), head and body aches and sometimes vomiting. A rash follows, which spreads and progresses to raised bumps and pus-filled blisters that crust, scab and fall off after about three weeks leaving a pitted scar.
Q.	How is smallpox spread?
A.	Smallpox normally spreads from contact with infected people. Generally, direct and fairly prolonged face-to-face contact is required to spread smallpox from one person to another. It can also be spread through direct contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated objects, such as clothing and bedding. Indirect spread is rare, but there have been instances where a virus carried in the air in enclosed settings (buildings, buses, planes and trains) has spread smallpox.  The smallpox virus is fragile. If an aerosol release of smallpox occurs, 90 percent of the virus matter will be inactivated or dissipated within 24 hours. Humans are the only natural hosts of the virus. It is not known to be transmitted by insects or animals.
Q.	Is there any treatment for smallpox?
A.	No, there is no proven treatment for smallpox, but it can be prevented through the use of the smallpox vaccine.
Q.	What is the smallpox vaccine and is it still required?
A.	The smallpox vaccine is made from the vaccina virus. This is another pox-type virus related to smallpox. The vaccine helps the body develop immunity to smallpox. The vaccine does not contain the smallpox virus and cannot spread smallpox. Routine vaccination of the American public against smallpox stopped in 1972 after the disease was eradicated in the U.S. Until recently, the U.S. government provided the smallpox vaccine only to a few hundred scientists and medical professionals who work with smallpox and similar viruses in research settings. After the events of September and October 2001, the government updated its smallpox response plan and ordered enough smallpox vaccine to immunize the American public in the event of an emergency.
Q.	How long does a smallpox vaccine last?
A.	Experience shows that the first dose of the vaccine offers protection from smallpox for three to five years, with decreasing immunity thereafter. Subsequent vaccinations (boosters) provide longer immunity.
Q.	How safe is the smallpox vaccine?
A.	Since the vaccination does not contain the smallpox virus, smallpox cannot be contracted from the vaccination. However, there are side effects and risks associated with the smallpox vaccine. Most people experience normal, usually mild reactions that include a sore arm, fever and body aches. Occasionally, people experience reactions ranging from serious to life threatening. These reactions include a toxic or allergic reaction at the vaccination site, spread of the vaccinia virus to other parts of the body and to other individuals and spread of the vaccinia virus to other parts of the body through the blood. Death resulting from the vaccination is extremely rare. It is estimated that one or two people in 1 million die from the vaccination.
Q.	Who should NOT get the vaccine?
A.	Some people are at greater risk for serious side effects from the smallpox vaccine. Individuals who have any of the following conditions should not get the smallpox vaccine unless they have been exposed to the smallpox virus:  • Weakened immune system.  • Heart disease.  • Pregnancy or are currently breastfeeding.  • Eczema or dermatitis. This is true even if the condition is not currently active.  • Skin conditions such as burns, chickenpox, shingles, impetigo, herpes, severe acne or psoriasis. People with any of these conditions should not get the vaccine until they have completely healed.  • Are allergic to the vaccine or any of its ingredients (polymyxin B, streptomycin, chlortetracycline, and neomycin).  • Are younger than 12 months.  • Are age 65 or older.
Q.	Need more information?
A.	For more information on smallpox, visit www.cdc.gov/smallpox, or call the CDC public response hotline at 888-246-2675.

 Back to Contents

worth noting . . .

Vision: Dimethylisopropanolamine (DMIPA) and dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE), chemicals associated with water-based inks used in printing production, have been linked to job-related vision problems. More information is available in the January 2003 edition of the British journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 

MOU: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Customs Service have signed a broad memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will further the EPA’s ability to monitor and enforce compliance with federal environmental laws and regulations pertaining to chemical substances, pesticides, hazardous waste and ozonedepleting chemicals. 

Teens: The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has launched a Teen Safety and Health Web site. It can be accessed from the Department of Labor’s YouthRules! Web site or through the OSHA Web site (www.osha.gov) A–Z index under “Youth.” 

Diving: Under OSHA’s proposed amendment to its Commercial Diving Operations standard, recreational diving instructors and diving guides would be allowed to use alternatives to an on-site decompression chamber. This would impact recreational divers who rely on a selfcontained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) and dive at depths of 130 feet or less. The revision does not change requirements for commercial divers who do not regularly use SCUBA gear due to the nature of their work and the length of time they must spend underwater. 

AEDs: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a version of the automated external defibrillator (AED) for home use. 

eTool: OSHA recently launched an eTool showing ways to reduce lead exposure to employees in lead smelter plants. Visit OSHA’s Web site at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/leadsmelter/index.html. 

Histoplasmosis: The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has developed and patented a faster, cheaper way to determine if workers are at risk of exposure to fungal spores that can cause histoplasmosis, a respiratory infection. 

HAZWOPER: OSHA recommends hospitals and health care facilities follow the Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) regulations (29 CFR 1910.120) for guidance on terrorism preparedness. Document #3152 explains a hospital’s role in emergency situations and is available from OSHA’s Publications Office, which can be reached at 202-693-1888.

Back to Contents

TECHlines^® is published bi-monthly by Lab Safety Supply Inc., PO Box 1368, Janesville, Wisconsin 53547-1368.
TECHlines^®'s goal is to provide accurate information on the subject matter covered. However, it is impossible to guarantee absolute accuracy of the materials. The publisher, therefore, cannot assume any responsibility for omissions, errors or misprinting contained within this publication.
For additional information, call Lab Safety Supply's Safety TECHline^® at 1-800-356-2501.