Inspection Detail

Note: The following inspection has not been indicated as closed. OSHA citation items will be posted 30 (thirty) days after the employer receives the citation(s), except in cases of significant public interest. Posted citation items reflect any amendments to citations that are the result of a prompt settlement, which OSHA encourages. Employers and employee representatives will continue to receive copies of the citation(s) upon issuance.

Inspection: 1473654.015 - Cha Health Systems, Inc. / Cha Hollywood Medical Center, L.P.

Inspection Information - Office: Los Angeles District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 2:15 p.m. on April 18, 2020, an employee was working as a Charge Nurse in the Telemetry Unit. The employee worked during the two weeks prior to the onset of the symptoms on April 8, 2020. On April 17, 2020, a coworker of the employee died from a COVID-19 infection. The Telemetry unit is not a COVID unit, however around March and April 2020, they admitted three patients who later developed symptoms and tested positive for COVID-19. There is no documentation placing the employee in rooms where the positive COVID-19 patients were although the employee likely came into contact with other nurses who did treat COVID-19 positive patients at the hospital. The employee last worked on April 7, 2020, during the night shift and left early because was feeling unwell. The onset of the symptoms started on April 8, 2020, and was tested for COVID-19 on April 11, 2020, but had not yet received the results. The employee was initially treated in the emergency room on April 13, 2020, and was admitted on April 14, 2020. The employee later died. Post mortem COVID-19 testing was performed on the employee on April 18, 2020, and the employee tested positive. The fatality was reported to Cal OSHA by a representative of the Union SEIU121RN through an e-mail on April 27, 2020. The employer did not report the employees hospitalization and subsequent death at the hospital. Cal/OSHA commenced a fatality investigation on 4/29/20. No accident-related citations were issued as a result of this accident. However, Cal OSHA identified other violations and issued four serious, one regulatory, and three general citations COVID-19 related death COVID-19 virus.

Keywords: Infectious Disease