OSHA Inspection: HOSPITAL PEREA INC

Issued

Nov 25, 2003

Abate by

Dec 28, 2003

Penalty

Initial $1,875 · Current $938 Reduced

General-duty citation text

Section 6(a) of the Puerto Rico Occupational Safety and Health Act:  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 physical harm to employees
in that employees
were exposed to:
Seccion 6(a) de la Ley de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo de Puerto Rico:
El patrono no
proveyo empleo y un sitio de empleo libre de riesgos reconocidos que esten
causando o que
puedan causar muerte o dano fisico a los empleados, por cuanto empleados
estaban expuestos
a:
a)Workplace, One Day Surgery (ODS) - Employees exposed to the hazard of
being infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis through unprotected contact
with patients who were infectious or suspected to be infectious with
tuberculosis (TB) in that:
1.Bronchoscopy room was not an acid-fast bacilli (AFB) isolation room
(negative pressure room).
2.The employer did not have a written and implemented protocol for the
early identification (screening) of individuals with suspected or active
TB.
3.The employees training and education program regarding exposure to
TB was not conducted periodically (annually).
Feasible and useful abatement methods for reducing this hazard, as
recommended by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
include, but are not limit to:
1.Individuals with suspected or confirmed infectious TB disease must be
placed in a respiratory acid - fast bacilly (AFB) isolation room. AFB
isolation refers to a negative pressure room that exhausts room air
directly outside.
2.The employer shall develop and implement a protocol (TB infection
control policie) for the early identification of individuals with suspected
or active TB.
3.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
purpose and proper use of controls, shall be provided to all current
employees at risk and to new employees upon hiring.  Training needs
shall be reevaluated periodically (annually).
a)Lugar de trabajo, Cirugia Ambulatoria (ODS) - Empleados expuestos al
riesgo
de infeccion con Mycobacterium Tuberculosis a traves de contacto sin
proteccion con pacientes que estuvieron infectados o con sospecha de
infeccion
de tuberculosis (TB) en que:
1.Cuarto de Broncoscopias, no era un cuarto de aislamiento del tipo "acid
"fast" - Bacilli (AFB), Cuarto de Presion Negativa.
2.El patrono no tenia un protocolo escrito e implementado para la
identificacion temprana (cernimiento)  de individuos con TB sospechada
o activa.
3.El programa de educacion y adiestramiento de empleados relacionado
con exposicion a TB no se realizo periodicamente (anualmente).
Metodos de correccion utiles y factibles para reducir este riesgo, segun
recomendado por los Centros de Prevencion y Control de Enfermedad (CDC -
por sus siglas en ingles), incluyen, pero no se limitan a:
1.Individuos con tuberculosis sospechada o confirmada tienen que
colocarse en cuartos de aislamiento del tipo "acid" - "fast" Bacilly
(AFB).  Aislamiento tipo AFB se refiere a un cuarto de presion
negativa que extrae el aire directamente hacia el exterior.
2.El patrono tiene que desarrollar e implementar un protocolo (politica de
control de infeccion de TB) para la identificacion temprana de
individuos con TB sospechada o activa.
3.Informacion y adiestramiento para asegurar el conocimiento del
empleado en asuntos tales como el modo de transmision de TB, sus
signos y sintomas, vigilancia medica y terapia, y procedimientos
especificos del lugar que incluyan el proposito y uso correcto de
controles, tiene que proveerse a todos los empleados en riesgo y a
empleados nuevos cuando sean reclutados.  Las necesidades de
adiestramiento tienen que reevaluarse periodicamente (anualmente)."

Issued

Nov 25, 2003

Abate by

Dec 15, 2003

Penalty

Initial $1,000 · Current $500 Reduced

Issued

Nov 25, 2003

Abate by

Dec 3, 2003

Issued

Nov 25, 2003

Abate by

Nov 29, 2003

Penalty

Initial $1,125 · Current $563 Reduced

Issued

Nov 25, 2003

Abate by

Nov 30, 2003

Issued

Nov 25, 2003

Abate by

Dec 1, 2003

Penalty

Initial $1,875 · Current $938 Reduced

Issued

Nov 25, 2003

Abate by

Dec 18, 2003

Penalty

Initial $1,125 · Current $563 Reduced

Issued

Nov 25, 2003

Abate by

Nov 29, 2003

Penalty

Initial $1,875 · Current $938 Reduced

Issued

Nov 25, 2003

Abate by

Nov 29, 2003

Penalty

Initial $1,125 · Current $563 Reduced

Issued

Nov 25, 2003

Abate by

Nov 29, 2003

Issued

Nov 25, 2003

Abate by

Nov 30, 2003