Restore Funding to OSHA for Annual Respirator Fit-Testing

Take Action: Call or Write Your Representative to Support the Annual Respirator Fit-Testing Provisions in the OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard

In 2004, OSHA began including tuberculosis (TB) under the Respiratory Protection Standard, but for the past two fiscal years, Congress has denied OSHA funds to enforce a critical part of the standard, annual respirator fit-testing.  Some Congress members are trying to do the same thing again this year.

OSHA's examination of the scientific literature determined that initial fit-testing upon employment is not sufficient, because the worker must know how to don the respirator properly and she or he must achieve a good facial seal. Nurses and other health care workers need to repeat the short test each year to be reminded of the proper donning procedure and because minor weight changes or dental changes can affect the seal of the respirator to the face. It is critical for health care workers to know how to protect themselves in the event of a crisis, when it would be too late to conduct fit-testing.

The House of Representatives will consider the issue again when it takes up the Labor-HHS Appropriations Bill.  Once again, some representatives have attached a measure that would take away funding for annual TB respirator fit-testing.

Please contact your representatives to ask them to oppose any amendments to the Labor-HHS Appropriations Bill which would withhold funds from OSHA for the Respiratory Protection Standard, including the enforcement of annual fit-testing.

To call your representatives, call 202-224-3121. The operator will connect you to their offices. Ask to speak with someone who works on appropriations. The message is simple:

• Ask the representative to oppose any provision within the Labor-HHS Appropriations Bill which would prevent OSHA's enforcement of the Respiratory Protection Standard for TB, 29 CFR 1910.134, including the annual respirator fit-testing requirement.
• Stress your experience as an RN. Nurses and other health care workers face infectious disease risks every day. Nurses will be on the frontline in the event of an outbreak of avian flu, SARS, or other serious infectious diseases.
• Exposure to and infection from TB and other communicable diseases are not part of your job and are not acceptableóthe technology and the OSHA standard exist to protect you and your family from preventable risks.
• You may want to add:
  • The Bush Administration supports OSHA's standard, including annual fit-testing.
  • Failure to enforce the standard will only exacerbate the shortage of nurses. (Why would anyone want to go into or stay in nursing if hospitals are too cheap to provide basic protection for their employees?)
  If you prefer to send a letter to your representatives, here is a sample letter.
  (Posted as a Word file. Download, or click on "File/Save as" to save to your computer.)

  Sample Letter

  Background Information