Disinfectant choices under bloodborne pathogen precautions

June 27, 1997

Mr. Thomas H. Bach
Reckitt & Colman Inc.
[Recipient address omitted]
Dear Mr. Bach:

This is in response to your second letter dated May 5 concerning the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) position on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-approved disinfectants. Your concern is that the inclusion of additional products that have different kill claims will provide the employer with choices for cleaning blood spills, and that this is not in keeping with universal precautions.

The newly EPA-approved quaternary ammonium (quats) products do not bear a label with kill claims for all the blood borne pathogens regulated by OSHA. The employer must choose the appropriate disinfectant in any situation based on the information available. Quaternary ammonium [products] are not an appropriate disinfectant for all bloodborne pathogens. The universal precaution concept is central to employee protection, and nothing in the latest decision to include EPA-approved HIV/HBV disinfectants among "appropriate" disinfectants suggest that OSHA is changing the requirement to practice universal precautions.

I hope this is responsive to your needs and all your questions have been addressed. This office has received a number of letters and telephone calls concerning the same subject you raised. In the near future, this issue and our methods of communicating this information to the public will be reviewed. If you have further questions, please call [the Office of Health Enforcement at (202) 693-2190].

Sincerely,
Stephen Mallinger, Acting Director
Office of Health Compliance Assistance

[Corrected 12/6/2024]

[Requester letter reproduced on OSHA page; omitted here.]