OSHA Inspection: FALLS NURSING HOME

Issued

Mar 31, 1995

Abate by

May 3, 1995

Penalty

Initial $2,450 · Current $1,450 Reduced

Issued

Mar 31, 1995

Abate by

May 3, 1995

Penalty

Initial $2,450 · Current $800 Reduced

Issued

Mar 31, 1995

Abate by

May 3, 1995

Penalty

Initial $1,050 · Current $200 Reduced

Issued

Mar 31, 1995

Abate by

May 3, 1995

Penalty

Initial $1,400 · Current $700 Reduced

Issued

Mar 31, 1995

Abate by

May 3, 1995

Issued

Mar 31, 1995

Abate by

May 3, 1995

Issued

Mar 31, 1995

Abate by

May 3, 1995

Penalty

Initial $2,450 · Current $850 Reduced

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1):  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 workers, such as nurses, nursing assistants,
housekeeping, and
maintenance were exposed to the hazard of being infected with tuberculosis
through contact with
residents who were or may be infected with tuberculosis in that:
A) The protocol for identifying individuals with active tuberculosis was
not followed
for a patient identified by the Wisconsin Department of Public Health as a
suspect
TB patient.
B)Mantoux skin testing was not provided to health care workers who had
exposure
to individuals with confirmed tuberculosis in accordance with the most
current
recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
C)There was no protocol in place to ensure that the AFB (acid fast
bacilli) isolation
room was under negative pressure with respect to the corridors each day
that the
room was in use.
Feasible and useful abatement methods for reducing these hazards as
recommended by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among others, are as follows:
1)Protocol for the early identification of individuals with active
tuberculosis.
2)Medical surveillance, at no cost to employees, including pre-placement
evaluation, administration and interpretation of TB Mantoux skin tests, and
periodic evaluation shall be offered to employees as follows:
An initial baseline screening at the time of employment for all employees
at the
time of employment for all employees in the covered facilities; annually
for all
employees in the covered facilities; retesting every six months for
workers with
exposure to the exhaled air of individuals with suspected or confirmed TB
or for
workers with exposure to high hazard procedures performed on such
individuals.
3)Placement of individuals with suspected or confirmed TB in AFB (acid fast
bacilli) isolation rooms.  AFB isolation rooms for persons with suspected
or
confirmed infectious TB and areas where high hazard procedures are being
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).  AFB
isolation rooms are to be checked for negative pressure with respect to the
corridors every day that the room is used for tuberculosis isolation.