OSHA Inspection: ST. MARY'S HOSPITAL

Issued

Oct 13, 1998

Abate by

Oct 23, 1998

Penalty

Initial $2,500 · Current $1,000 Reduced

Issued

Oct 13, 1998

Abate by

Dec 1, 1998

Penalty

Initial $17,500 · Current $10,500 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 patient
contact and special procedures such as aerosolized pentamidine treatment,
bronchoscopy, suction
procedures, and sputum induction.
On or about 7/14/98 and 7/17/98 on the First Floor and Fifth and Sixth
Floors, North:
a) Nurses, nurse's aides, respiratory therapists, transporters, social
workers, phlebotomist,
doctors, and housekeeping personnel were exposed to the hazard of being
infected with
Mycobacterium tuberculosis through repeated and prolonged contact with
active or suspect
tuberculosis patients that occupied rooms not provided with negative
pressure.  Including, but
not limited to:
Family Practice Center (Exam Room #3), Respiratory Therapy Department- 1st
floor;
Rooms 627, 628 - 6th floor;  Rooms 527, 528 - 5th floor.
Among other methods, some feasible and acceptable abatement methods to
correct this
hazard as recommended by the CDC guidelines are:
1.  Rooms occupied by TB or suspected TB patients must be under negative
pressure exhausted
to the outside and away from intake vents.
2.  Screen patients suspected of having TB so that active TB patients may
be quickly placed in
AFB isolation.  Provide a rapid diagnostic service.
3.  Provide training to employees on the hazard and control of
tuberculosis.  The training must
include the epidemiology, transmission and pathogenesis of tuberculosis.
ABATEMENT NOTE: Once rooms have been certified as being under negative
pressure, the
following steps should be taken to ensure that condition:
1  Periodic checks are required to ensure that the desired negative
pressure is present and that
the continuous monitoring devices, if used, are properly maintained.
2.  If smoke tubes or other visual checks are used, TB isolation rooms and
treatment rooms
should be checked frequently for negative pressure.
3.  TB isolation rooms should be checked daily for negative pressure while
being used for TB
isolation.
Reference:CDC MMWR October 28, 1994/Vol 43
Guidelines for preventing the Transmission of Tuberculosis in Health Care
Settings with Special Focus on HIV                Related Issues
Violation observed on or about 7/14/98 and 7/17/98.St. Mary's Hospital was
previously cited for a violation of this Occupational Safety and Health
Standard or its equivalent 5(a)(1) for failure to maintain negative
pressure in the following
rooms: Family Practice Center, #627, #628, #527, and #528.  The citations
were
contained in
OSHA Inspection Number 107199150, Citation Number 1, Item Number 1, issued
on 7/25/96
and became final order on 8/15/96.

Issued

Oct 13, 1998

Abate by

Dec 1, 1998

Issued

Oct 13, 1998

Abate by

Oct 19, 1998