OSHA Inspection: VIENNA TOWN HGHWY DEPT

Issued

Jun 28, 2007

Abate by

Sep 27, 2007

General-duty citation text

NYSLL Article 2, Section 27(a)(3a)(1): Employer did not furnish to each of
its employees
employment and a place of employment which was free from recognized
hazards that were
causing or were likely to cause death or serious physical harm to its
employees and which
will provide reasonable and adequate protection to the lives, safety or
health of its
employees. In applying this paragraph, fundamental distictions between
private and public
sector employment have been recognized:
a) Employees of the Town of Vienna Highway Dept, Blossvale, NY were
exposed to the
hazard of being infected with the rabies virus through possible direct
contact with saliva or
potentially rabid animals (eg, raccoons, fox, opposum, cats, dogs, deer or
others) being
introduced into open cuts or wounds in the skin or via mucous membranes
which can occur
when workers pick up and remove road kill or other dead animals.
Reasonable and adequate
abatement methods for reducing this hazard, among others, are:
1. Training- The employer had not developed and implemented an effective
comprehensive
rabies control training program including but not necessarily limited to,
the proper handling
practices of removing road kill; the personal protective equipment needed;
the etiology and
modes of transmission of the disease; decontamination of equipment and
personal hygiene
(eg, hand washing); avoidance of animal/saliva contact; and follow-up
procedures in the
event of an exposure incident.
Note: Training shall be provided to all workers who are assigned tasks
where there is
occupational exposure to rabies.

Issued

Jun 28, 2007

Abate by

Sep 27, 2007