Learn about occupational TB risks in workplaces. Explore testing strategies tailored for occupational health to protect your employees and ensure business continuity
TB Management

Occupational health

TB as an occupational threat

Tuberculosis (TB) poses a serious occupational threat, spreading in environments where employees work or live closely together.

Protecting your workforce from TB is not just an ethical obligation but also a business imperative.

Awareness is the first step. Explore which workplaces are most at risk and how you can take action to protect your team.

Which workplaces face the highest TB risks?

Certain industries face heightened TB risks due to high-density interactions and shared spaces. Occupations involving close proximity work spaces make it easier for TB to spread, putting both employees and operations at risk. These high-risk industries include (1):

  • High-proximity occupations: Staff in shared offices, performers, firefighters, casino workers and hair, nail and skincare beauticians often work in close proximity, increasing the risk of TB transmission.
  • Congregate settings: Housing facilities for oil platforms, mining camps, dormitories and other shared living spaces where physical proximity is constant.
  • Food processing and meatpacking: Workers in meat, poultry, and fish processing plants, as well as agricultural factory environments, face prolonged close-quarter workspaces.
  • Transportation industry: Roles such as flight attendants, TSA screeners and bus drivers involve frequent exposure to large, diverse groups of people.
  • Community care and service roles: Teachers in crowded classrooms, childcare providers, cooks, servers, bartenders and healthcare workers in non-hospital care facilities work closely with others in shared environments.

These sectors are vulnerable to TB outbreaks due to their structural and operational realities. With the right TB screening measures, you can mitigate risks, protect employees and ensure continuity in operations.

Why is baseline TB testing for workers crucial?

TB represents a significant public health challenge and a critical workplace concern. In industries with close proximity interactions, undetected latent TB infections can progress to active cases, endangering employee health, disrupting operations and impacting business performance.

TB represents a significant public health challenge and a critical workplace concern. In industries with close proximity interactions, undetected latent TB infections can progress to active cases, endangering employee health, disrupting operations and impacting business performance.

The consequences of a TB outbreak in the workplace can be severe and can lead to:

  • Lost productivity: Sick employees mean absences and reduced output.
  • Increased costs: Treatment, compliance tracing and related expenses add up quickly.
  • Business downtime: Operational interruptions can affect timelines and profits.

Testing for TB can prevent these disruptions. Moreover, it ensures that employees stay healthy and businesses remain operational.

The role of urgent care in workplace TB prevention

Collaborating with urgent care centers can significantly enhance workplace TB prevention efforts. These centers support accessible and reliable TB testing services that align with occupational health needs. By partnering with urgent care facilities, you can streamline your TB testing processes, ensure timely screenings and maintain a healthy work environment.

But how can you make the most of urgent care resources to enhance your onboarding and TB testing practices?

To explore effective strategies for integrating urgent care resources into your TB prevention plan, watch our on-demand webinar featuring Dr. Wendy Thanassi. Gain insights into best practices for TB testing in occupational health settings and learn how to implement successful measures to protect your workforce.
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To explore effective strategies for integrating urgent care resources into your TB prevention plan, watch our on-demand webinar featuring Dr. Wendy Thanassi. Gain insights into best practices for TB testing in occupational health settings and learn how to implement successful measures to protect your workforce

QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus: Designed for occupational health

The traditional TB skin test requires multiple visits and is prone to errors, which can be challenging in high-volume urgent care and busy workplace settings. QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus) simplifies the process.

With QFT-Plus, TB infection testing can be performed with just one visit and one tube and it yields one objective result.

  • Quick and easy: This single visit TB blood test minimizes disruption and avoids follow-up appointments, saving time for your workforce and operations.
  • Accurate results: Lab-processed results eliminate guesswork and false positive results, even for those vaccinated with BCG.
  • Seamless integration: Results integrate directly into electronic medical records (EMRs), streamlining your health and compliance processes.
Streamline your TB testing process with QFT-Plus
Accurate, single visit TB testing for occupational health.
Learn more

Looking to manage occupational TB risks for healthcare workers?

Healthcare workers face an increased risk of TB infection due to frequent exposure to patients with TB disease and high-risk environments. As a result, healthcare environments require tailored TB management approaches to ensure the safety of both staff and patients.

We’ve developed dedicated resources to help you understand and implement best practices for TB testing and prevention in healthcare environments.

Explore healthcare worker resources
TST or IGRA in healthcare workers: The when and the why

References:

  1. Occupational Information Network (ONET). Physical Proximity Descriptors. www.onetonline.org (accessed November 21, 2024)

QFT-Plus is an in vitro diagnostic aid for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. QFT-Plus is an indirect test for M. tuberculosis infection (including disease) and is intended for use in conjunction with risk assessment, radiography, and other medical and diagnostic evaluations. QFT-Plus Package Inserts, available in multiple languages, as well as up-to-date licensing information and product-specific disclaimers can be found at www.QuantiFERON.com.