Notice to Users of NIOSH Tuberculosis Respiratory Protection Guide

"TB Respiratory Protection Program In Health Care Facilities"
(DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 99-143)

Updated:  March 06, 2003

This NIOSH guideline provides good general information for individuals who are tasked with developing respiratory protection programs, however it is important to recognize that this guideline is based on compliance with the OSHA respiratory protection standard prescribed for tuberculosis situations (29 CFR 1910.139), and this standard differs significantly from the requirements in WISHA's respiratory protection standard, WAC 296-62/Part E.

Guide users will need to read and understand WAC 296-62/Part E in order to maximize their potential for setting up a program that meets with WISHA compliance. The most critical areas to pay attention to are the medical evaluation and the fit testing program elements. For example, the informed user should notice that the questionnaire provided on page 88 in the guide does not comply with WAC 296-62-07153 (1).

Please contact your local WISHA consultant if you need more help. WISHA also offers no-fee workshops on how to develop a respiratory protection program and is working on making available other training resources in the near future.