Today's Law As Amended


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AB-2674 Occupational safety and health standards: hazardous disinfectants.(2013-2014)



As Amends the Law Today


SECTION 1.
 The Legislature finds and declares the following:
(a) Health care personnel who work with or near hazardous disinfectants in health care settings may be exposed to hazardous agents in the air, on work surfaces, clothing, medical equipment, and in contact with patients.
(b) According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), pregnant nurses who were exposed to toxic disinfectants in the workplace experienced a miscarriage rate that was double the rate of miscarriages among nurses not similarly exposed.
(c) It is in the best interests of the state that the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board review the health effects of toxic disinfectants and adopt standards to protect health care personnel from hazardous exposure to these disinfectants.

SEC. 2.

 Section 144.9 is added to the Labor Code, to read:

144.9.
 (a) As used in this section, the following definitions shall apply:
(1) “Disinfectant” means a chemical agent, regulated by the federal Environmental Protection Agency, that eliminates pathogens on inanimate objects.
(2) “NIOSH” means the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

(b) The board shall adopt an occupational safety and health standard to protect patients and health care personnel from the toxic effects of disinfectants regardless of the setting. In developing the standard, the board shall consider input from hospitals, practicing physicians from impacted specialties, including epidemiology, organizations representing health care personnel, including registered nurses, custodians, patients, and other stakeholders, and shall determine a reasonable time for facilities to implement new requirements imposed by the adopted standard. The standard, to the extent feasible, shall consider the most recent scientific evidence available and shall incorporate applicable updates and changes to the NIOSH guidelines.
SEC. 3.
  No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.