Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1520854.015 - Catholic Charities Of The Archdiocese Of Washington, Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Baltimore Area Office

Investigation Summary

In early 2021, a 70-year-old employee was working for a faith-based charitable organization. He worked at a homeless shelter. He attended to clients. The agency that employed him managed a homeless shelter for men. The shelter provided housing, counseling, transportation, and other services. The employee was responsible for the daily operation of the facility, which also included in person communication with the clients at the location. Clients were screened upon entry and required to wear masks (as were employees), but the clients could change from day to day. They were not required to stay at the facility all day. The employer had no control over the clients' activities or COVID-19 precautions when they were away from the facility. The employer was aware of the potential for employee exposure to COVID-19 at the facility due to the level of community spread of COVID-19 and the daily contact with different clients in need of shelter. In early January, a client at the shelter tested positive for COVID-19. In response, the employer tested employees at the facility on January 8th, and again on January 28, 2021. The employee's test result was positive, and he was instructed to self-isolate. While he was at home, the employee's symptoms worsened. The employee notified the program manager that he was in the hospital due to difficulty breathing on February 8, 2021. On the morning of February 16, 2021, the employer was notified the employee had died on the day prior, February 15, 2021. No one in the employee's family contracted the virus. The employer did not report the work-related fatality to OSHA within 8 hours. The employer was informed of the fatality on February 16, 2021 and reported the death to OSHA on March 16, 2021. The company had failed to report the death of an employee to OSHA within the required 8-hours. Due to the type of business and the job functions of the employee, the employee could have contracted the virus at his workplace.

Keywords: Infectious Disease