April 12, 2011 at 06:28 PM
Washington state lawmakers are directing the state's OSHA plan to issue new rules adopting NIOSH guidelines on safe drug handling in hospitals and health care settings, in what amounts to an unusual move by a legislature to compel use of the federal research agency's recommendations within state occupational safety and health regulations. Union sources said the bill, expected to be signed by the Washington governor this week, could provide a model for other states to translate NIOSH research into standards, and suggested the approach might be a way to address outdated OSHA permissible exposure