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Tell Congress to Restore Funding for Annual TB Respirator Fit-Testing
Tuberculosis (TB) is still a very real threat to many health care workers. But front-line care givers can protect themselves in the event of a deadly outbreak of the disease through the use of TB respirator masks. Annual fit-testing of the masks is critical so that health care workers know how to don the masks and ensure they cover the face properly.
This valuable protection is now in jeopardy due to a provision in the FY 2007 Education, Labor and HHS Appropriations bill that would eliminate funding for OSHA to enforce annual fit-testing for TB respirators.
Concerned Congress members, led by Rep. Major Owens (D-NY), will offer a floor amendment to the bill that would strike this dangerous provision and restore funding for fit-testing.
Join other UAN e-Activists in contacting your representative today to urge him or her to support the Owens floor amendment to the FY 2007 Labor-HHS Appropriations bill that would restore funding for annual TB respirator fit-testing.
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject: Preserve TB Protections for Nurses
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
I am writing because I need your help to keep from contracting tuberculosis (TB). The risk of being exposed to TB is real for nurses like me, especially for those of us who care for immigrant, homeless, incarcerated or long-term care patients
As a registered nurse and your constituent, I urge you to support annual TB respirator fit-testing for nurses, included in the floor amendment by Rep. Major Owens to the FY 2007 Labor-HHS Appropriations Bill. This amendment would fully fund annual TB respirator fit-testing under the OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard.
Annual fit-testing is a common-sense, low-cost, effective strategy to ensure that respirator masks do the job they are meant to do--prevent the spread of disease--by making sure that health care workers know how to use them and that they fit properly.
Failure to enforce annual TB fit-testing is a bad idea on many counts. It places at risk the very population--front line caregivers--our nation would rely on to secure the public's health in the event of a deadly disease outbreak like SARS or avian flu. It also has the potential to make the current nurse staffing crisis even worse: RNs with other career options may not choose hospital nursing if it means putting their own health at risk.
I ask you to support this important floor amendment. Please contact me or Jay Witter at the United American Nurses (301-628-5081) with any questions.
Sincerely,
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Campaign Launched:
June 23, 2006
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The risk of contracting TB is a still serious threat for nurses, especially for those who care for immigrant, homeless, incarcerated or long-term care populations. Progress against the disease is slowing, according to the Centers for Disease Control; TB infection rates increased in 18 states and remained the same in four states in 2003. To protect health care workers, OSHA began enforcement of the inclusion of tuberculosis under the Respiratory Protection Standard on July 1, 2004.
Unfortunately, the House Appropriations Committee again, as they did in FY 2006, included a provision in the FY 2007 Education, Labor and HHS Appropriations bill that would prohibit OSHA from enforcing the annual fit-testing regulation for TB respirators. This provision was sponsored by Rep. Roger Wicker (R-MS).
The UAN, AFL-CIO and other affiliated unions are currently working with Rep. Major Owens (D-NY) on a floor amendment to the House Labor, HHS, Appropriations bill that would strike the Wicker provision and restore the annual fit-test regulation.
Health care facilities have been covered under the Respiratory Protection Standard for all other biological and chemical hazards since 1998 and should already be conducting annual respirator fit-testing as part of disaster preparedness in the event of bio-terrorism or an outbreak of a newly emerging disease such as SARS or avian flu. Contrary to being cost-prohibitive, OSHA estimates that the total cost nationally for fit-testing is only $11.7 million annually, approximately eight-thousandths of 1% of revenue for a small facility.
Failure to enforce the TB respirator standard is a bad idea on many counts. It places at risk the very population—front line caregivers—our nation would rely on to secure the public’s health in the event of a deadly disease outbreak like SARS or avian flu. It also has the potential to make the current nurse staffing crisis even worse: RNs with other career options may not choose hospital nursing if it means putting their own health at risk.
Contact your representative today to urge him or her to support the Owens floor amendment to the FY 2007 Labor-HHS Appropriations bill that would restore funding for annual TB respirator fit-testing.
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