OSHA Inspection: CINCINNATI SPORTS MEDICINE & ORTHOPAEDIC CENTER IN

Issued

Apr 12, 1990

Abate by

May 23, 1990

Penalty

Initial $490 · Current $490

General-duty citation text

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:
a) Employees having contact with human blood and body fluids
were exposed to the hazards of bloodborne diseases in that
the training of these employees in regard to "Universal
Precautions" had not yet been conducted. Also, the
employer's training program for all affected employees did
not specify procedures for corrective action to the taken if
blood-permeable clothing being worn by employees would become
contaminated with human blood or body fluids. In addition,
employees had not been instructed on proper disposal pro-
cedures of all needles contaminated with human blood to
prevent re-capping of contaminated needles and possible
needle sticks.
A feasible method of abatement would include the training
of all employees exposed to human blood and body fluids which
must cover: Precautionary measures, epidemiology, modes of
transmission and prevention of HIV/HBV and other associated
infectious agents, the location and proper use of PPE, proper
work practices, the concept of "universal precautions" and
procedures to follow if employees exposure to a needlestick
or other body fluids occurs and how to prevent needlesticks
from occurring.
Feasible methods for blood contaminated employee clothing
would include but not necessarily be limited to the
following options. All affected employees must be
instructed to remove blood permeable clothing if it becomes
contaminated with human blood to the extent that it may
keep the blood in contact with employee skin. The removal
should occur as soon as feasible and within the same general
area in which the contamination occurred. The clothing
which has become soaked or significantly contaiminated with
human blood must be placed into an impermeable bag or
container. If the clothing is disposable, it can be
discarded in accordance with standard infectious waste
procedures. If the clothing is non-disposable and
employer-owned, it should be placed into an impermeable,
sealed and properly labeled or color-coded bag and then
opened only by trained laundry department workers wearing
proper protective clothing and equipment. For
amployee-owned and non-disposable clothing which has become
soaked or significantly contaminated with patient blood, the
garments could be tagged with the identity of the employee
who owns the garment and then handled in the same manner as
employer-owned garments. Alternatively, the employee-owned
clothing can be disinfected with a sodium hypochlorite
solution or other disinfectant before it is removed from the
worksite and laundered by the employee. Regardless of what
type of clothing may be involved, any area of employee skin
which does become contaminated with patient blood must be
quickly and thoroughly washed.

Issued

Apr 5, 1990

Abate by

Apr 23, 1990

Penalty

Initial $490 · Current $490

Issued

Apr 5, 1990

Abate by

May 23, 1990

Penalty

Initial $210 · Current $210

Issued

Apr 5, 1990

Abate by

May 23, 1990

Penalty

Initial $210 · Current $210

Issued

Apr 5, 1990

Abate by

May 23, 1990

Penalty

Initial $210 · Current $210