OSHA Inspection: DR. RONALD S COLE

Issued

2014-07-18 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-08-13 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2000.00 · Current $1200.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1030(c)(1)(i): The employer having employee(s) with occupational exposure did not establish a written Exposure Control Plan designed to eliminate or minimize employee exposure  (a) Dr. Ronald S. Cole-Athens, GA - Employees including Dentist, Dental Hygienist, and Dental Assistants were exposed to blood and body fluids while caring for patients.  A site specific written Exposure Control Program (ECP) was not developed, on or about June 4, 2014.

Issued

2014-07-18 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-08-13 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1030(g)(2)(ii)(A): The employer did not ensure that training was provided to employees with occupational exposure at the time of initial assignment to tasks where occupational exposure might take place:  (a) Dr. Ronald S. Cole-Athens, GA - Employees including Dentist, Dental Hygienist and Dental Assistants were exposed to blood and body fluids while caring for patients.  Bloodborne Pathogens training was not conducted initially and annually thereafter, on or about June 4, 2014.

Issued

2014-07-18 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-07-24 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1030(d)(3)(i): When there was occupational exposure, the employer did not provide, at no cost to the employee, appropriate personal protective equipment such as, but not limited to, gloves, gowns, laboratory coats, face shields, masks, eye protection, and mouthpieces, resuscitation bags, pocket masks, or other ventilation devices:  (a)Dr. Ronald S. Cole-Athens, GA - Employees including Dental Assistants were exposed to blood and body fluids splash hazards while assisting the dentist in procedures such as, but not limited to, fillings and root canals.  The employee purchased their own safety goggles to prevent eye splash hazards, on or about June 4, 2014.

Issued

2014-07-18 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-07-24 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2000.00 · Current $1200.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1030(d)(2)(vi): The employer did not ensure that employees washed their hands or any other skin with soap and water, or flush mucous membranes with water immediately or as soon as feasible following contact of such body areas with blood or other potentially infectious material:  (a)Dr. Ronald S. Cole-Athens, GA - Employees including Dentist, Dental Hygienist, and Dental Assistants were exposed to blood and body fluids while caring for patients.  The employer did not ensure employee's removed their gloves and washed their hands after contact with blood or other potentially infectious material (OPIM), on or about June 4, 2014.

Issued

2014-07-18 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-08-13 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1030(d)(4)(i): The employer did not determine or implement an appropriate written schedule for cleaning or method of decontamination based upon the location within the facility, type of surface to be cleaned, type of soil present, and tasks or procedures being performed in the area:  (a)Dr. Ronald S. Cole-Athens, GA - Employees including Dentist, Dental Hygienist, and Dental Assistants were exposed to blood and body fluids while caring for patients.  A routine schedule for cleaning and removal of soil on surfaces such as, but not limited to, carpeted surgical rooms, carpeted patients rooms, gross contamination, minor contamination, and carpeted laboratory rooms, was not developed on or about June 4, 2014.  The carpeted surgical rooms, carpeted laboratory, and carpeted patient rooms had not been decontaminated for more than one year.

Issued

2014-07-18 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-08-13 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1030(d)(4)(ii): Equipment, environmental surfaces, or working surfaces were not cleaned and decontaminated after contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials:  (a)Dr. Ronald S. Cole-Athens, GA-Employees including Dentist, Dental Hygienist, and Dental Assistants were exposed to blood and body fluids while caring for patients.   On or about June 4, 2014, the following equipment had not been decontaminated properly:  1.Carpeted surgical rooms,  2.Carpeted laboratory and sterilization room,  3.Polishing wheels,  4.Blue towels used for surgery,  5.Carpeted patient rooms

Issued

2014-07-18 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-08-13 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2000.00 · Current $1200.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1030(d)(4)(iii)(B)(1): Regulated waste was not disposed of in containers that were closable; constructed to contain all contents and prevent leakage of fluids during handling, storage, transport, or shipping; labeled or color-coded in accordance with paragraph (g)(1)(i) of this standard; and closed prior to removal to prevent spillage or protrusion of contents during handling, storage, transport, or shipping.   (a)Dr. Ronald S. Cole-Athens, GA - Employees were exposed to blood and body fluids in that the blue towels used to wipe blood, secretion, and other liquid waste from surgery, was disposed of in a laundry basket without a cover.  The contaminated laundry basket was then transported into a car, and the towels were taken home to wash, on or about June 4, 2014.

Issued

2014-07-18 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-07-24 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1030(d)(4)(iii)(C): Disposal of all regulated waste was not in accordance with applicable regulations of the United States, a State, a Territory, or a political subdivision of a State or Territory:  (a)Dr. Ronald S. Cole-Athens, GA - The regulated waste was thrown into the regular dumpster.  The employer did not have a contract with a waste disposal service to remove regulated waste, on or about June 4, 2014.

Issued

2014-07-18 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-08-13 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2000.00 · Current $1200.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1030(d)(4)(ii)(E): Reusable sharps that were contaminated with blood or other potentially infectious material were not stored or processed in a manner that required employees to reach by hand into the containers where these sharps had been placed:  (a)Dr. Ronald S. Cole-Athens, GA - Employees including Dental Hygienist and Dental Assistants were exposed to needlesticks while cleaning contaminated reusable sharps in the sterilization room.  The employer has not developed engineering controls to prevent employees from reaching into the ultrasonic with their hands to remove, and bag contaminated instruments, on or about June 4, 2014.

Issued

2014-07-18 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-07-24 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1030(f)(3): Following a report of an exposure incident, the employer did not make immediately available to the exposed employee a confidential medical evaluation or follow-up:   (a)Dr. Ronald S. Cole - Athens, GA-Employees including Dental Hygienist and Dental Assistants were exposed to needlesticks while sterilizing reusable instruments.  A post exposure follow-up was not conducted on or about June 4, 2014.

Issued

2014-07-18 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-08-13 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2000.00 · Current $1200.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1030(f)(2)(iv): The employer did not ensure that employees who declined to accept the hepatitis B vaccination offered by the employer signed the statement in appendix A:   (a)Dr. Ronald S. Cole-Athens, GA-Employees including Dental Assistant and Dental Hygienist were exposed to blood and body fluids while caring for patients.  The employer did not ensure the employees had accepted or declined the Hepatitis B Vaccination, on or about June 4, 2014.

Issued

2014-07-18 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-08-13 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $1200.00 · Current $720.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1): The employer did not develop, implement, and/or maintain at the workplace a written hazard communication program which describes how the criteria specified in 29 CFR 1910.1200(f), (g), and (h) will be met:  Dr. Ronald S Cole, Athens, GA - In the sterilization and developing areas, employees handle chemicals to include, but not limited to, Kodak Fixer and Replenisher (containing ammonium thiosulfate, acetic acid, and sodium thiosulfate), Kodak Developer and Replenisher (containing potassium sulfite, diethylene glycol, hydroquinone, and potassium hydroxide) . A written hazard communication had not been developed and implemented, on or about 6/4/14.

Issued

2014-07-18 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-08-13 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(1): Employees were not provided effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work area at the time of their initial assignment and whenever a new hazard that the employees had not been previously trained about was introduced into their work area:   Dr. Ronald S Cole, Athens, GA - In the sterilization and developing areas, employees handle chemicals to include, but not limited to, Kodak Fixer and Replenisher (containing ammonium thiosulfate, acetic acid, and sodium thiosulfate), Kodak Developer and Replenisher (containing potassium sulfite, diethylene glycol, hydroquinone, and potassium hydroxide). Information and training had not been conducted, on or about 6/4/14.

Issued

2014-07-18 00:00:00

Abate by

2014-09-04 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.141(a)(5): A continuing and effective extermination program was not instituted where rodents, insects, or other vermin were detected:  (a) Dr. Ronald S Cole, Athens, GA- The employer did not have an effective vermin control program in that there were rodent feces and insects inside the dental hygienist office, on or about June 4, 2014.