OSHA Inspection: KENNEDY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, STRATFORD DIVISION

Issued

Oct 24, 1997

Abate by

Jan 25, 1998

Penalty

Initial $3,150 · Current $2,205 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 the hazard of being infected with Mycobacterium
tuberculosis through
unprotected contact with a patient who was infectious or suspected to be
infectious with
tuberculosis in that:
a)  Physicians, nurses, housekeeping personnel, lab personnel, and other
health care
workers working outside of intensive care unit room SMIC003 and telemetry
room 273
were exposed to the hazard of being infected with tuberculosis. A patient
with suspected
tuberculosis was admitted to those rooms, which were not under negative
pressure, from
4/23/97 to 4/26/97.
b)  Six employees of the Nursing Department who worked on the hospital's
fourth floor
where the negative pressure isolation rooms in which patients with
suspected
and/or
confirmed tuberculosis are admitted did not receive an annual Mantoux skin
test. On or
about 5/29/97.
Feasible and useful abatement methods for reducing this hazard, as
recommended by the
Centers for Disease Control, include, but are not limited to:
1)  Placement of individuals with suspected or confirmed TB disease in an
AFB (Acid
Fast Bacilli) isolation room. AFB isolation rooms for persons with
suspected or
confirmed infectious TB and areas in which high hazard procedures are
performed on
such individuals must be maintained under negative pressure and
appropriately exhausted
(either directly to the outside away from intake vents or through properly
designed,
installed, and maintained HEPA filters).
2)  Provide medical surveillance (at no cost to employees) including
placement
evaluation, administration and interpretation of TB Mantoux skin tests,
and periodic
evaluations. The frequency of the tests must be in accordance with the
current CDC
guidelines.

Issued

Oct 24, 1997

Abate by

Nov 26, 1997

Penalty

Initial $3,150 · Current $2,205 Reduced

Issued

Oct 24, 1997

Abate by

Nov 26, 1997

Issued

Oct 24, 1997

Abate by

Nov 26, 1997

Issued

Oct 24, 1997

Abate by

Nov 3, 1997

Penalty

Initial $1,800 · Current $1,260 Reduced

Issued

Oct 24, 1997

Abate by

Dec 5, 1997

Penalty

Initial $3,150 · Current $3,150

Issued

Oct 24, 1997

Abate by

Nov 26, 1997

Penalty

Initial $1,575 · Current $1,575

Issued

Oct 24, 1997

Abate by

Oct 29, 1997

Issued

Oct 24, 1997

Abate by

Nov 26, 1997

Penalty

Initial $2,700 · Current $2,700

Issued

Oct 24, 1997

Abate by

Nov 26, 1997