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March 19, 2001
“INS Lax in Protecting Workers, OSHA Says; [Houston] Office Here
Cited Again Over TB Concern”
Houston Chronicle (www.chron.com) (03/17/01) P. A1
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
has, for the second time in less than 12 months, cited the Houston office of
the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) for failing to properly
protect its employees from diseases that could potentially be spread by
immigrants, such as tuberculosis. Specifically,
OSHA said the INS employees who work with detainees were not given respirators
or training to help them avoid contracting diseases. A recent notice from OSHA stated that INS employees “were exposed
to the hazard of being infected with tuberculosis or other airborne infectious
agents through repeated prolonged indoor/closed space contact with individuals
who may be infected with tuberculosis or other airborne infectious agents.” Included
in the notice was a 23-count citation which noted that the INS had not provided
all of its workers with sufficient training, timely hepatitis B vaccinations,
or the proper equipment. The INS has
until May 1 to resolve the safety issues.
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