Inspection Detail

Inspection: 303467682 - Asc Medi-Car Services, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Chicago North Area Office

Investigation Summary

Employee #1 was working as a driver transporting sick patients. Employee #1 worked a total of three weeks in which one week training included securing the patients in the van and general training on the operation of the van. Employee #1 was not provided any training on disease prevention, personal protective equipment (PPE), or on blood borne pathogens. Employee #1 was not furnished any PPE to use while handling patients. On March 20, 2000, Employee #1 told his mother a patient vomited on him during his assigned route. Employee #1 died five days later. The coroner was contacted and the type of meningitis found to have caused Employee #1's death was a common type of meningitis called Pneumococcus Meningitis. This is a gram-positive bacterium and not related to the epidemic gram-negative type, Neisseria Meningitis. The etiological agent that caused Employee#1's death is not the type that is investigated by the health department. The pneumococcus bacteria are commonly found in people's noses and are virtually impossible to trace. Employee #1 had been in and out of half way houses for four or five years and in close contact with other people that may have been carriers of human pathogens. This fact probably played a part in Employee #1's exposure to the bacteria. Employee #1 had been taken to the hospital in January with swollen glands and high fever while living in one of the half way houses. Employee #1's immune system may have already been compromised and the bacteria were able to manifest itself during the time he worked. It is not likely Employee #1's illness and death was caused as a result of his employment.

Keywords: PPE, DRIVER, UNTRAINED, VOMIT