Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1530459.015 - Wellmont Wexford House

Inspection Information - Office: Tennessee Osha Gray Office - Health

Investigation Summary

An employee was administering COVID-19 rapid tests to employees and was also assigned clinical duties in a section of the facility where residents who were suspected to be COVID-19 positive or had been determined to be COVID-19 positive were transferred into. The employee was required to wear a PAPR with a loose fitting hood assembly for these assignments. The employer reported that they had received two handwritten complaints from coworkers of the employee on October 15, 2020, alleging that he was not wearing the respirator while administering COVID-19 rapid tests to staff. The Director of Nursing , who was the employee's immediate superior, explained that she sent an email to the employee to remind him to wear appropriate PPE when performing COVID-19 tests. The employee received no other disciplinary action and was not retrained on the use of respirators. The employee's respirator use deficiencies continued and were not limited to administering COVID-19 tests. The employee would not wear his respirator in areas where respirator use was required by the employer. The employee tested positive for COVID-19 on a rapid test on November 15, 2020 and was hospitalized November 28, 2020. The employee died on December 20, 2020.

Keywords: Infectious Disease