OSHA Inspection: SEA BREEZE CARE CENTER

Issued

Sep 12, 1996

Abate by

Oct 29, 1996

Penalty

Initial $6,300

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 exposed to the
hazard of being infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis through
unprotected contact with a
nursing home patient, who was infectious or suspected to be infectious
with tuberculosis in that
the employer did not develop or implement the following:
(a)A protocol for early identification of patients with active TB.
(b)Worker education and training pertaining to TB.
(c)Engineering controls.
Feasible and useful abatement methods for reducing this hazard, as
recommended by the CDC,
include, but are not limited to:
1.Early identification of Patient/Client.  The employer shall implement a
protocol
for the
early identification of individuals with active TB.  See CDC Guidelines,
October 28,
1994/VOL 43/No. RR-13.
2.Worker Education and Training.  Training and information to ensure
employee
knowledge of such issues as the mode of TB transmission, its signs and
symptoms,
medical surveillance and therapy, and site specific protocols including
the propose and
proper use of controls shall be provided to all current employees and to
new workers
upon hiring.  (See CDC guidelines, October 28, 1994).  Training should be
repeated as
needed.
Workers shall be trained to recognize, and report to a designated person,
any patients or
clients with symptoms suggestive of infectious TB and instructed on the
post exposure
protocols to be followed in the event of an exposure incident. (See CDC
Guidelines,
October 28, 1994).
3.Engineering Controls.  The use of each control measure must be based on
its ability to
abate the hazard.
a.Individuals with suspected or confirmed infectious TB disease must be
placed in
a respiratory acid-fast bacilli (AFB) isolation room.  High hazard
procedures on
individuals with suspected or confirmed infectious TB disease must be
performed
in AFB treatment rooms, AFB isolation rooms, booths, and/or hoods.  AFB
isolation refers to a negative pressure room or an area that exhausts room
air
directly outside or through HEPA filters if recirculation is unavoidable
(See CDC
Guidelines, October 28, 1994).
4.Developing and implementing a tuberculosis (TB) infection-control
program (See CDC
Guidelines, October 28, 1994).
Disclaimers:
1.You are not limited to the abatement methods suggested above.
2.The methods explained are general and may not be effective in all cases.
3.The employer is responsible for selecting and carrying out an
appropriate method.

Issued

Sep 12, 1996

Abate by

Oct 29, 1996

Penalty

Initial $6,300

Issued

Sep 12, 1996

Abate by

Oct 29, 1996

Penalty

Initial $6,300

Issued

Sep 12, 1996

Abate by

Oct 29, 1996

Issued

Sep 12, 1996

Abate by

Oct 29, 1996

Issued

Sep 12, 1996

Abate by

Oct 29, 1996