OSHA Inspection: LEE COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD

Issued

Dec 11, 2002

Abate by

Jan 3, 2003

General-duty citation text

Title 40.1-51.1(a) Code of Virginia:  The employer did not furnish
employees safe employment
and a place of employment which was free from recognized hazards that were
causing or likely
to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees
were not adequately
trained to recognize predictable hazard(s) in their workplace.  On
September10, 2002, ceiling
tile located on the second floor of the Lee County Alternative School fell
from the weight of
accumulated bird droppings.  This event and previous employee exposures
which resulted from
employee exposures to dust containing the biological hazards associated
with the bird droppings
have been linked to medically diagnosed employee illnesses in the form of
psittacosis,
cryptococcosis, and histoplasmosis.  Employees were exposed to this dust
as a result of normal
duties, including handling of contaminated articles such as books as well
as vacuuming of the
floors of the facility.  This exposure and event could have been avoided
if the employer would
have conducted adequate training related to the ongoing bird infestation
problems,
including
ways to detect/report the presence of birds in the building.  Training
should have also included
information on the hazards associated with handling articles or vacuuming
floors where the
potentially hazardous debris/dust was likely to exist.  This hazard was
noted on October1, 2002,
and was confirmed through employee interviews and medical reports.

Issued

Dec 11, 2002

Abate by

Dec 19, 2002