OSHA's new rules for Ebola and other diseases could be years away

The messy handling of the first Ebola case in the U.S. prompted the nation's largest nurses' union to urge stricter federal safety standards for hospitals. National Nurses United wants at least two full-time nurses assigned to each Ebola patient and full-body hazmat suits—and, above all, a concerted effort by the federal government to ensure rules are followed. "There is no enforcement," NNU Co-President Jean Ross said in a recent interview. "There is no one to say, 'You will do what the CDC says.'" At least one federal agency is considering new regulations that, while not specifically targeted toward Ebola, would raise standards for workplace safety from infectious disease.