OSHA Inspection: AUBURN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

Issued

Dec 24, 1992

Abate by

Jun 11, 1993

Penalty

Initial $1,625 · Current $813 Reduced

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:
Employees including but not limited to staff nurses and
respiratory
therapists were exposed to the hazard of being infected
with Tuberculosis through repeated prolonged indoor contact with
patients/prisoners who may be infected with tuberculosis in that:
a.   THROUGHOUT THE HOSPITAL:  Procedures had not been
established
which would include a provision for rooms designed
to provide ventilation to assure negative pressure.
Feasible and useful abatement methods for reducing this
hazard, as recommended by the C.D.C. among others include
but are not limited to the following:
1.   Medical Screen:
A.   All employees in the facilities covered must be
offered the Mantoux skin test free of charge and
at a time and place convenient to the employee.
All test procedures shall be conducted in
accordance
with standard medical practice.
Frequency of testing shall be as follows:
- At time of employment, unless there is a
previous
positive test or documented completion
of adequate preventive therapy.
-  Every six (6) months for workers with frequent
exposure to patients with TB or are involved
with high hazard procedures.
-  Annual testing for other workers.
-  After a TB exposure; that is, if a worker has
been exposed to a potentially infectious TB
patient for whom infection control procedures
have not been taken.  This will not be required
when an employee's last skin test was within
the previous three (3) months.  If negative,
the skin test shall be repeated twelve (12)
weeks after exposure.
2.   Work Removal
When an employee is found to have current pulmonary
or laryngeal TB, they shall be excluded from work
until adequate treatment is instituted, their cough
is resolved and sputum is free of bacilli on three
consecutive smears.
3.   Respiratory Isolation
All covered facilities providing health care services
to confirmed, infectious TB patients must keep these
patients in pulmonary isolation rooms.
The pulmonary isolation room must be under negative
pressure, and exhausted to the outside away from intake
vents, people and animals.  If venting directly to
the outside is not possible the air must be exhausted
through properly designed, installed, and maintained
HEPA filters.
4.   Transport of TB Patients
Whenever an infectious TB patient is to be transported,
the patient shall be evaluated to determine if it is
medically feasible for the patient to be fitted with
an appropriate respirator.  If it is feasible, the
employee transporting the patient shall ask the person
to wear one during the transport.  The employee exposed
during the transporting of a patient shall wear a
particulate
respirator or properly fitted surgical mask.

Issued

Dec 24, 1992

Abate by

Feb 15, 1993

Penalty

Initial $1,625 · Current $813 Reduced

Issued

Dec 24, 1992

Abate by

Feb 15, 1993

Issued

Dec 24, 1992

Abate by

Jan 6, 1993

Penalty

Initial $1,625 · Current $813 Reduced

Issued

Dec 24, 1992

Abate by

Jan 19, 1993

Penalty

Initial $1,625 · Current $813 Reduced