OSHA Inspection: ABSORBENT COTTON CO.

Issued

Feb 21, 1991

Abate by

Apr 10, 1991

Penalty

Initial $540 · Current $540

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 OF LIKELY TO CAUSE DEATH
OR SERIOUS PHYICAL HARM TO EMPLOYEES IN THAT EMPLOYEES WERE EXPOSED TO:
A) HBV VACCINATIONS WERE NOT OFFERED TO CATEGORY II EMPLOYEES, THOSE
TRAINED IN FIRST AID AND CPR, WHO WERE EXPOSED TO THE HAZARD OFBEING
INFECTED BY HBV THROUGH DIRECT CONTACT WITH BLOOD AND BODYFLUIDS.
FEASIBLE AND USEFUL ABATEMENT METHODS FOR REDUCING THE HAZARD, AMONG
OTHERS ARE:
OFFER HBV VACCINATIONS TO ALL EMPLOYEES WHERE POTENTIAL EXPOSURE
TO BLOOD AND BODY FLUIDS IS A SUBSTANTIAL RISK.
B) APPROPRIATE MEDICAL FOLLOW-UP PROCEDURES WERE NOT IMPLEMENTED FOR
CATEGORY II EMPLOYEES, THOSE TRAINED IN FIRST AID AND CPR, AFTER
EXPOSURE TO THE HAZARD OF BEING INFECTED BY HIV AND/OR HBV THROUGH
DIRECT CONTACT WITH BLOOD OF BODY FLUIDS.
FEASIBLE AND USEFUL ABATEMENT METHODS FOR REDUCING THE HAZARD, AMONG
OTHERS ARE:
IMPLEMENTATION OF FOLLOW-UP PROCEDURES AFTER POSSIBLE EXPOSURE TO
HIV AND/OR HBV. IF WORKERS HAVE A MUCOSA MEMBRANE (SPLASH TO EYE,
NASAL MUCOSA, OR MOUTH) EXPOSURE TO BODY FLUIDS OR HAS A CUTANEOUS
EXPOSURE TO BLOOD WHEN THE WORKER'S SKIN IS CHAPPED, ABRADED OR
NON-INTACT, THE SOURCE PATIENT SHALL BE INFORMED OF THE INCIDENT AND
TESTED FOR HIV AND HBV INFECTIONS, AFTER CONSENT IS OBTAINED.
IF PATIENT CONSENT IS REFUSED OR IF THE SOURCE PATIENT TESTS
POSITIVE, THE WORKER SHALL BE EVALUATED CLINICALLY AND BY HIV
ANTIBODY TESTING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND ADVISED TO REPORT AND SEEK
MEDICAL EVALUATION OF ANY ACUTE FEBRILE ILNESS THAT OCCURS WITHIN
12 WEEKS AFTER EXPOSURE.
HIV SERONEGATIVE WORKERS SHALL BE RETESTED 6 WEEKS PAST EXPOSURE
AND ON A PERIODIC BASIS THEREAFTER (12 WEEKS AND 6 MONTHS AFTER
EXPOSURE).
FOLLOW-UP PROCEDURES SHALL BE TAKEN FOR WORKERS EXPOSED OR
POTENTIALLY EXPOSED TO HBV. THE TYPE OF PROCEDURES DEPENDS
ON THE IMMUNIZATION STATUS OF THE WORKER (I.E., WHETHER HBV
VACCINATION HAS BEEN RECEIVED AND ANTIBODY RESPONSE IS ADEQUATE)
AND THE HBV SEROLOGIC STATUS OF THE SOURCE PATIENT. THE CDC
IMMUNIZATION PRACTICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE HAS PUBLISHED ITS
RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING HBV POST EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS IN
TABLE FORMANT IN THE JUNE 17, 1985, MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY
WEEKLY REPORT.
NO UNIVERSAL PRECAUTION TRAINING WAS PROVIDED FOR CATEGORY II
EMPLOYEES, THOSE TRAINED IN FIRST AID AND CPR, WHERE THE POTENTIAL
FOR EXPOSURE TO BLOOD, BODY FLUIDS OR TISSUE COULD RESULT IN HIV
AND/OR HBV INFECTIONS.
FEASIBLE AND USEFUL ABATEMENT METHODS FOR REDUCING THE HAZARD, AMONG
OTHERS ARE:
THEY SHALL BE TRAINED CONCERNING PROPER WORK PRACTICES AND, IF THE
FACILITY HAS IMPLEMENTED THEM, SHALL UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF
"UNIVERSAL PRECAUTIONS" AS IT APPLIES TO THEIR WORK PLACE PRACTICES.
THEY SHALL BE TRAINED ABOUT THE MEANING OF COLOR CODING OR OTHER
METHODS (EXCEPT TAGS) USED TO DESIGNATE CONTAMINATED ARTICLES OR
INFECTIOUS WASTE. WHERE TAGS ARE USED, TRAINING ABOUT TAGS AND
PRECAUTIONS TO BE USED IN HANDLING CONTAMINATED ARTICLES OR
INFECTIOUS WASTE IS GOVERNED BY 29 CFR 1910.145(F). WORKERS SHALL
RECEIVE TRAINING ABOUT PROCEDURES TO BE USED IF THEY ARE EXPOSED
TO BODY FLUIDS.

Issued

Feb 21, 1991

Abate by

Apr 10, 1991

Penalty

Initial $540 · Current $540