Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1497280.015 - Rchp - Florence, Llc

Inspection Information - Office: Birmingham Area Office

Investigation Summary

An employee was working as a production cook at a general medical and surgical hospital. He was hospitalized for COVID-19. He began experiencing symptoms of and tested positive for COVID-19 on September 16, 2020. He was hospitalized on September 20, 2020. At approximately 7:30 p.m. on October 11, 2020, he died from COVID-19 at the hospital where he was employed. His employer informed OSHA of the death via a serious event report at 2:10 p.m. on October 13, 2020, and a call to the OSHA hotline at 4:11 p.m., also on October 13, 2020. The employer's human resources director said that she first became aware of the fatality on Monday, October 12, 2020, at the morning meeting when, the food service director had asked for prayers for a long-term employee who had died. The OSHA inspector did not recommend a violation for late reporting of a fatality, since the employee had died 31 days after the determined possible exposure date of September 10, 2020. A violation for late reporting of a hospitalization was similarly not recommended, since the employee had been hospitalized on September 20, 2020 or ten days after the exposure date. Coworkers who were interviewed stated that the employee had never missed a day of work. The food service director said that she had worked with the employee on Tuesday, September 15, 2020, and he was fine. She said he called her on Wednesday, September 16, 2020, and said he was not feeling well. He hoped it was just his sinuses, and he said that he was going to get tested.

Keywords: Infectious Disease