OSHA Inspection: CLARION HOSPITAL

Issued

Nov 10, 2015

Abate by

Dec 30, 2015

Penalty

Initial $5,000 · Current $2,000 Reduced

Hazardous substances 8400

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1030(c)(1)(ii)(B):  The employer's Exposure Control Plan did not include the schedule and method of implementation for paragraphs (d) Methods of Compliance, (f) Hepatitis B Vaccination and Post-Exposure Evaluation and Follow-up, (g) Communication of Hazards to Employees, and (h) Recordkeeping, of this standard:        a) Clarion Hospital -On or about May 18, 2015, and times prior thereto, Employees had potential exposure to bloodborne pathogens intermittently throughout work operations including, but not limited to, giving injections, drawing blood, changing bandages or cleaning blood or other potentially infectious material (OPIM) spills.  The employer's written Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Plan was not site specific. In that, the written plan did not identify items including, but not limited to:       1) The name of the responsible person or department that will be responsible for training, documentation of training, and making the written Exposure Control Plan available to employees, OSHA, and NIOSH representatives;        2) The job titles of employees with occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens or OPIM;        3) The listed task/procedures in which some employees would have potential exposure to bloodborne pathogens or OPIM;       4) The name of the responsible person or department in which employees could contact in order to review the bloodborne pathogen plan during their work shift;     5) The name of the responsible person or department who would be responsible for ensuring that the recommendations and procedures in regard to engineering controls and work practices are carried out;     6) The description of the process, literature reviewed, supplier information reviewed, and products considered for changes in engineering controls;     7) The name of the responsible person or department who will perform laundering;     8) A list of the Personal Protective Equipment that will be utilized while handling and/or sorting contaminated laundry;        9) The name of the responsible person or department who is responsible for ensuring that warning labels are affixed or red bags are used as required if regulated waste or contaminated equipment is brought into the facility;     10) The name of the responsible person or department in which employees would notify if they discover regulated waste containers, refrigerators containing blood or OPIM, contaminated equipment, etc. without proper labels;     11) The name of the responsible person or department who will provide training to employees on hepatitis B vaccinations, addressing safety, benefits, efficacy, methods of administration, and availability;     12) The name of responsible person or department who provides the employee with a copy of the evaluating health care professionals written opinion within 15 days after completion of the evaluation;     13) The name of the responsible person or department that ensures that the health care professional evaluating an employee after an exposure incident are provided with the following:  A description of the employee's job duties relevant to the exposure incident, route(s) of exposure, circumstances of exposure, if possible, results of the source individual's blood test, relevant employee medical records, including vaccination status.

Issued

Nov 10, 2015

Abate by

Dec 30, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 8400

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1030(c)(1)(iv)(B): The review and update of the exposure control plan did not document annually consideration and implementation of appropriate commercially available and effective safer medical devices designed to eliminate or minimize occupational exposure:   a) Clarion Hospital -On or about May 18, 2015, and times prior thereto, Employees had potential exposure to bloodborne pathogens intermittently throughout work operations including, but not limited to, giving injections, drawing blood, changing bandages or cleaning blood or other potentially infectious material (OPIM) spills.  Documentation of the annual considerations and potential implementation of additional or different commercially available and effective safer medical devices designed to eliminate or minimize occupational exposure was not available.

Issued

Nov 10, 2015

Abate by

Dec 15, 2015

Penalty

Initial $5,000 · Current $3,500 Reduced

Hazardous substances 8400

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1030(d)(2)(i): Engineering and work practice controls were not used to eliminate or minimize employees exposure:      a) Clarion Hospital - On or about, and dates prior to, May 18, 2015 Medical Technologists were at greater risk of exposure to blood and/OPIM during procedures when Arterial Blood Gas needles, that were not equipped with engineered safety mechanisms, were in use.

Issued

Nov 10, 2015

Abate by

Dec 15, 2015

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $4,500 Reduced

Hazardous substances 8400

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1030(d)(2)(vii)(A): Contaminated needles and other contaminated sharps were bent, recapped, or removed:       a.) Clarion Hospital - On or about, and dates prior to, May 18, 2015, Surgical Technicians were required to remove contaminated scalpel blades from reusable handles prior to disposal. The employer did not demonstrate and document that no feasible alternative was available or that removal of the contaminated blade was required by a specific medical procedure.

Issued

Nov 10, 2015

Abate by

Jan 30, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 8400

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1030(d)(2)(vii)(B): Bending, recapping, or needle removal was not accomplished through the use of a mechanical device or a one-handed technique:       a.) Clarion Hospital - On or about, and dates prior to, May 18, 2015, Surgical Technicians were required to remove contaminated scalpel blades from reusable handles with the use of a two-handed technique. The employer did not demonstrate and document that no feasible alternative was available or that two-handed removal of the contaminated blade was required by a specific medical procedure.

Issued

Nov 10, 2015

Abate by

Dec 30, 2015

Penalty

Initial $3,000 · Current $1,000 Reduced

Hazardous substances 8400

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1030(f)(5)(iii): Findings or diagnoses other than those required by 29 CFR 1910.1030(f)(5) were not confidential or were included in the report:        a) Clarion Hospital - On or about, and at times prior to, May 18, 2015, the employer's copies of healthcare professional written opinions for post exposure evaluation and follow-up for employee exposure incidents included findings and/or diagnoses.

Issued

Nov 10, 2015

Abate by

Nov 23, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 8400

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1030(h)(5)(i): The employer did not record and maintain the information on the sharps injury log in such a manner as to protect the confidentiality of the injured employee:     a) Clarion Hospital - On or about, and at times prior to, May 18, 2015, the employer did not record information on the sharps injury log in such a manner as to protect the confidentiality of the injured employee. Sharps injury logs included names of injured employees.

Issued

Nov 10, 2015

Abate by

Dec 15, 2015

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 8400

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1030(h)(2)(i): The employer's records for annual bloodborne pathogen training did not include all of the elements required by (h)(2)(i)(A)-(D) of 29 CFR 1910.1030:     a) Clarion Hospital - On or about, and at times prior to, May 18, 2015, the employer's record of bloodborne pathogen training did not contain items including:  a brief description or contents of the training; the job titles of all persons attending the training sessions; and the name and job title of the person conducting the training.