N.J. Admin. Code § 8:111-3.7

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 23, December 2, 2024

Section 8:111-3.7 - Employee health

(a) The policy and procedure manual shall include policies and procedures to ensure that physical examinations of staff are performed upon initial employment and at subsequent intervals. Policies and procedures shall specify the circumstances under which other persons providing direct client care services shall receive a physical examination. Policies and procedures shall specify the content and the frequency of the examination, including follow-up examinations where medically warranted.

(b) The facility shall require all staff employed as of July 15, 2013, and all staff hired thereafter, to submit to screening tests for rubella and measles.

1. If an employee can document seropositivity from a previous rubella screening or inoculation with rubella vaccine, the employee shall not be required to submit to any additional rubella screenings.

2. If an employee cannot provide documentation required by (b)1 above, the employee shall be given a rubella hemagglutination inhibition test or other rubella-screening test approved by DOH as equivalent or better, on a case-by-case basis.

3. Only employees born in 1957 or later shall be required to submit to a measles screening test.

i. If the employee can document receipt of a live measles vaccine on or after his or her first birthday, physician diagnosed measles or serologic evidence of immunity to measles, the employee shall not be required to submit to a measles screening test.

ii. If the employee cannot provide the documentation required in (b)3i above, the employee shall submit to a measles hemagglutination inhibition test, or other measles screening test.

4. All employees hired after July 15, 2013, that are required to submit to screening tests shall do so upon employment; and

5. All employees employed as of July 15, 2013, that are required to submit to screening tests shall do so within 60 days.

(c) The facility shall inform each employee of the results of each screening test, record all tests performed and the results thereof in each employee's personnel record and maintain a list of all employees who are seronegative and unvaccinated.

(d) The facility shall require all employees, including medical staff members, to submit to tuberculosis testing using a two-step Mantoux in accordance with the Tuberculosis Surveillance Procedures for Substance Abuse Treatment Facilities, incorporated herein by reference as N.J.A.C. 8:111 Appendix A.

1. Employees hired after July 15, 2013, shall be required to submit to Mantoux testing upon employment, while employees employed as of July 15, 2013, shall submit to the Mantoux test within 60 days, if the employee has not been tested within the past year.

2. If the initial Mantoux test result is negative (less than 10 millimeters of induration or less than five millimeters of induration if immunosuppressed), the employee shall submit to a repeat Mantoux skin test within three weeks of the initial test.

3. If either the initial or subsequent test result is positive (10 or more millimeters of induration, or five millimeters if immunosuppressed), the employee shall submit to a chest x-ray and be referred for chemoprophylaxis or treatment for tuberculosis, as appropriate.

4. Employees who can document a negative Mantoux test, within the prior 12 months need only one Mantoux skin test.

5. The following employees shall not be required to submit to a Mantoux tuberculin Skin test:

i. Employees who can document a previous positive Mantoux skin test (10 millimeters or more of induration or five millimeters or more of induration if immunosuppressed); or

ii. Employees who can document having received and completed treatment for tuberculosis disease and latent tuberculosis infection.

6. The Mantoux skin test shall be repeated on an annual basis for all employees whose previous skin test results were negative, unless contraindicated.

7. All symptomatic employees should have a chest x-ray and be medically cleared regardless of the skin test result.

(e) The facility shall establish policies and procedures regarding employee safety and shall include procedures for the care of employees who become ill or who are injured at the facility.

(f) The facility shall establish policies and procedures that provide for pre-employment drug screening, and shall include the random drug screening of staff including the screening of staff suspected of substance abuse. The agency's policies and procedures shall address the facility's response to positive drug screening results.

N.J. Admin. Code § 8:111-3.7

Amended and recodified from 10:161A-3.7 53 N.J.R. 2208(a), effective 12/20/2021