OSHA Inspection: HEALTHCARE SERVICES GROUP, INC.

Issued

Apr 18, 2006

Abate by

May 19, 2006

Penalty

Initial $500 · Current $300 Reduced

Hazardous substances 22602085S227

General-duty citation text

Vermont Statute, TITLE 21 Labor : CHAPTER 3. SAFETY : Subchapter 5.
Occupational Safety and
Health :  223. Duties and 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 inadvertent mixing of incompatible
chemicals that would
produce exothermic chemical reactions that release hazardous
heats-of-reaction and/or chlorine gas and/or
other halogenated gases.
Location(s): CPL Long Term Care, Inc., d.b.a. Rowan Court Health and
Rehabilitation Center, 378 Prospect
Street, Barre VT (Rowan Court).
Violation:
The employer did not ensure that employees were protected from exposure to
the
hazard of strong exothermic
reactions that includes the offgassing of halogenated gases and related
fire hazards while working in the
chemical storage areas and the laundry rooms, where provisions were not
made for the safe separation
of incompatible chemicals, in that, five (5)-gallon, plastic containers of
Sodium Hydroxide (strong base)
and Phosphoric Acid (strong acid)  and Sodium Hypochlorite (halogenated
base) were stored and/or
dispensed within 4 feet of each other, on or about 01/06/06 at CPL Long
Term Care, Inc., d.b.a. Rowan
Court Health and Rehabilitation Center(Rowan Court) in Barre, Vermont.
Among other methods, one feasible
and acceptable abatement method to correct this hazard is to physically
separate the acids and alkalies and
halogenated caustic materials into different areas and to refrain from
stacking containers of incompatible
materials on top of each other (on flammable wooden pallets at Rowan
Court) and to secure these buckets
inside containment pans or troughs. This administrative change would
eliminate the chance of
inadvertently mixing incompatible materials caused by 1) broken or
accidentally opened bungs on the
containers and/or; 2) broken service tubing exiting the containers and/or;
3) incorrectly emplaced service
tubing filled with an incompatible material and/or; 4) a spill or splatter
accident.