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Violation Detail
Standard Cited: 5A0001 OSH Act General Duty Paragraph
Inspection Nr: 302507025
Citation: 01001
Citation Type: Serious
Abatement Status: X
Initial Penalty: $4,500.00
Current Penalty: $2,700.00
Issuance Date: 07/16/1999
Nr Instances: 1
Nr Exposed: 58
Abatement Date: 08/18/1999
Gravity: 10
Report ID: 0522300
Contest Date:
Final Order:
Related Event Code (REC): C
Emphasis:
| Type | Latest Event | Event Date | Penalty | Abatement Due Date | Citation Type | Failure to Abate Inspection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penalty | I: Informal Settlement | 08/10/1999 | $2,700.00 | 08/18/1999 | Serious | |
| Penalty | Z: Issued | 07/16/1999 | $4,500.00 | 08/18/1999 | Serious |
Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 Hazard: TB
Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to the hazard of being infected with mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) through unprotected contact with a patient who was infectious with (TB) in that: A. On 2/8/99 in Department 4 Main, nurses, dietary workers, support services workers and other healthcare workers were exposed to an active TB patient. The patient had signs indicating he was a suspect TB patient and was not placed in a negative pressure isolation room. B. Dietary and support services employees were not provided with adequate training regarding TB health hazards. Feasible and useful abatement methods for reducing this hazard, as recommended by the CDC, include, but are not limited to: (1) EARLY IDENTIFICATION OF PATIENTS/CLIENTS: (a) A protocol for determining suspect patients and requiring such patients to be placed immediately into isolation, shall be developed. (2) ENGINEERING CONTROLS: (a) Patients in high risk categories and those with suspected and confirmed TB disease must be placed in AFB isolation rooms. (b) The isolation rooms shall be kept under negative pressure. The CDC guidelines, dated 10/28/94 recommend daily negative pressure checks when the room is being used for TB isolation. (3) MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE: (a) TB skin testing shall be conducted every three(3) months for workers in high risk categories, every six(6) months for workers in intermediate risk categories and annually for low risk personnel. NOTE: A risk assessment shall be conducted for groups of Health Care Workers throughout the facility.(As per CDC guidelines Appendix-A page A-18) (4) WORKER TRAINING AND EDUCATION: (a) All Health Care Workers shall be trained to recognize, and report to a designated person, any patients or clients with symptoms suggestive of infectious TB and instructed on the post exposure protocol to be followed in the event of an exposure incident.