All stakeholders are invited to submit written comments on the discussion draft presented at the November 8, 2018 Advisory Meeting by January 15, 2019 to rs@dir.ca.gov

In response to the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board's decision on February 15, 2018 to GRANT Petition No. 567, the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) will convene an advisory meeting to consider development of a rulemaking proposal to protect employees from surgical plume and smoke. Cal/OSHA is holding an advisory meeting in Oakland.

At this advisory meeting, stakeholders and the public will have an opportunity to provide input on information and scientific data on surgical plume and smoke hazards, control measures, feasibility, or costs.

A discussion draft, meeting agenda and additional meeting documents are provided below.

Meeting Documents

• Minutes
• Comments
• Agenda
• Draft Regulatory Text for Discussion
• Presentation by Dr. Bradley King, CDC/NIOSH Western States Division

Background Documents

• Petition 567
• Steps to Develop an Occupational Health Standard
• Flow Chart on Regular Rulemaking

Resources on Occupational Exposure to Surgical Plume

• American National Standard for Safe Use of Lasers in Health Care (ANSI Z136.3-2018), Section 7.4 Laser Generated Airborne Contaminants (LGAC); Plume and Airborne Contaminants (PAC)
• New South Wales Ministry of Health Guideline, Work Health and Safety – Controlling Exposure to Surgical Plume (2015)
• NIOSH. Control of smoke from laser/electric surgical procedures
• NIOSH Study Finds Healthcare Workers' Exposure to Surgical Smoke Still Common
• NIOSH HEALTH HAZARD EVALUATION REPORT #2001-0066-3019
• "NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation Report 2008-0224-3328 (2018), Evaluation of Surgical Plume Particle Exposures in a Hospital and Private Medical Office Suite" by Bradley S. King, PhD, CIH
• OSHA Laser/Electrosurgery Plume
• Rhode Island General Laws 23-17-49.1, Workplace and patient safety - evacuation of surgical smoke plume required in operating rooms