Health Hazard Evaluation Report: HETA-2013-0110-3218, August 2014. Evaluation of Environmental Controls at a Faith-Based Homeless Shelter Associated with a Tubercolosis Outbreak - Texas

摘要

On March 21, 2013, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) received a request for technical assistance from the Chief Epidemiologist of the Dallas County Department of Health and Human Services, on behalf of the Executive Director of a large faith-based homeless shelter in Dallas, Texas, which was one of two shelters linked to an ongoing tuberculosis outbreak among homeless people in the Dallas area. The request asked NIOSH to assess the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems and make recommendations to improve overall environmental controls at the shelter. During an on-site evaluation of the homeless shelter in June 2013, we collected physical and ventilation measurements in all key areas of the facility. We focused on areas where shelter guests typically congregate or spend significant amounts of time. We recorded the make and model number of air-handling units (AHUs) providing air to the facility, and visually inspected the units, when possible. We also measured the air flow rate through all supply diffusers and return grilles.