OSHA Inspection: ALLICE HYDE HOPSITAL

Issued

Nov 12, 1992

Abate by

Dec 18, 1992

Penalty

Initial $1,625 · Current $1,137 Reduced

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:  The
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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.   Employees involved  with procedures such as sputum
induction,
and suctioning were not provided Mantoux Skin
tests every six months and every 12 months for all other
workers on or about 05/13/92.
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable
abatement
method to reduce this hazard are to follow the
following medical screening as published by the Center
of Disease Control (C.D.C.).
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 employees.
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
las skin test was within the previous three (3)
months.  If negative, the skin test shall be
repeated
twelve (12) weeks after exposure.