Hi all, I recently wrote a blogs post called "Seeing Red", quite a few of you have read it.  I was very angry about some of the stories I had read about irresposible behavior related to the treatment and spread of MRSA.  Not at the people who wrote the stories, but at the medical community, or agencies such as OSHA.  Anyway I decided to do something about it, or at least what I could on my part. 

     I have written to the CDC about my concerns and for clarification as to the protocols they are hoping to see followed in the future to prevent the spread of MRSA.  I have already recieved a confirmation of my e-mail and will update everyone on any response I recieve.  Here is a copy of the confirmation:

Thank you for your inquiry to CDC-INFO.   This e-mail confirms receipt of your request. We will send a reply to your request as soon as possible.  Please do not reply to this message as this mailbox is not monitored.


If you are a healthcare provider with a time sensitive patient-related inquiry, please call us at 1-800-232-4636 and we will make every effort to provide prompt service.


We encourage you to visit our website at www.cdc.gov.  Many of your questions may be answered with a search for your specific topic of interest.


CDC-INFO is a service of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).  This service is provided by Vangent, Inc. under contract to CDC and ATSDR.

Sincerely,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

I found this on the CDC site, it seems that if OSHA told someone they could not clean their place of work, they maybe mistaken.  This information comes from the CDC.

What should I do if I suspect that my uniform, clothing, personal protective equipment or workstation has become contaminated with MRSA?

• Wash uniforms, clothing, sheets and towels that become soiled with water and laundry detergent. Drying clothes in a hot dryer, rather than air-drying, also helps kill bacteria in clothes. Use a dryer to dry clothes completely.
  
• Cleaning contaminated equipment and surfaces with detergent-based cleaners or Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered disinfectants is effective at removing MRSA from the environment. Because cleaners and disinfectants can be irritating and exposure has been associated with health problems such as asthma, it is important to read the instruction labels on all cleaners to make sure they are used safely and appropriately. Where disinfection is concerned, more is not necessarily better. Additional information on appropriate use of cleaners and disinfectants can be found in the Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E) 10 Step Guide to Green Cleaning Implementation (http://www.h2e-online.org/docs/h2e10stepgreenclean-r5.pdf). Environmental cleaners and disinfectants should not be used to treat infections. The EPA provides a list of EPA-registered products effective against MRSA: http://epa.gov/oppad001/chemregindex.htm.

 What can my boss (employers) do to prevent the spread of staph or MRSA at the workplace?

• Place importance on worker safety and health protection in the workplace
  
• Ensure the availability of adequate facilities and supplies that encourage workers to practice good hygiene
  
• Ensure that routine housekeeping in the workplace is followed
  
• Ensure that contaminated equipment and surfaces are cleaned with detergent-based cleaners or Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered disinfectants

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) offers a new web resource to help employers and workers address workplace concerns associated with Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

The new topic page at www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/mrsa/ discusses the ways in which the MRSA bacteria can be spread at work, and recommends practical health steps to prevent transmissions from occurring. These steps include, among others:

 

• Providing and using adequate facilities and supplies at work to promote hand-washing and other good hygiene practices.

   

   

• Appropriate cleaning of equipment and surfaces in the event of contamination.

   

   

• Recommended precautions for individuals to follow if they have a MRSA infection or an infected wound: Cover and take care of a wound as directed by a health care provider. Clean your hands. Avoid sharing personal items. Ask your health care provider before returning to work. (MRSA is transmitted most frequently by skin-to-skin contact or contact with shared items or surfaces that have come into contact with someone else’s infection.)