Hundreds of Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama employees will be tested for pulmonary tuberculosis after an employee tested positive for the airborne disease. The Alabama Department of Public Health said it was notified about the employee, who works in the paint shop, early last week. Pam Barrett, director for the division of tuberculosis control said the department will start testing as many of the estimated 540 paint shop workers as they can Tuesday.
The facility is located in Hope Hull, which is an unincorporated community near Montgomery. Normally, the department would only test those who were on the same shift as the employee. But Barrett said the department wanted to take extra precautions since the company recently made shift changes. Barrett said "people who might have been working days last month may no longer be working days this month, she says "so there could have been exposure for the entire paint shop." Barrett said the employee is being treated and will return to work once they are no longer contagious.
