OSHA Inspection: MERIDIAN HOTELS, INC.

Issued

2016-03-21 00:00:00

Abate by

2016-06-06 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2000.00 · Current $1200.00 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.) Meridian Hotels, Inc. DBA Comfort Inn-On or about December 17, 2015, and times prior thereto, employees were exposed to blood or other potentially infectious material during laundering and housekeeping operations performed throughout the facility. 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 name of the responsible person or department in which employees could contact in order to review the bloodborne pathogen plan during their work shift;     4) 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;     5) The description of the process, literature reviewed, supplier information reviewed, and products considered for changes in engineering controls;        6) The name of the responsible person or department who will perform laundering;     7) A list of the Personal Protective Equipment that will be utilized while handling and/or sorting contaminated laundry;        8) 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;      9) 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;      10) 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;     11) 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;     12) 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 employees job duties relevant to the exposure incident, route(s) of exposure, circumstances of exposure, if possible, results of the source individuals blood test, relevant employee medical records, including vaccination status;

Issued

2016-03-21 00:00:00

Abate by

2016-06-06 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2000.00 · Current $1200.00 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.) Meridian Hotels, Inc. DBA Comfort Inn- On or about December 17, 2015, and times prior thereto, needles potentially contaminated with blood and/or other potentially infectious material (OPIM), found during housekeeping operations, were retrieved and disposed of by hand.

Issued

2016-03-21 00:00:00

Abate by

2016-06-06 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2000.00 · Current $1200.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances 8400

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1030(g)(2)(i): The employer did not ensure that each employee with occupational exposure to blood or OPIM (other potentially infectious materials) participated in a training program:    a.) Meridian Hotels, Inc. DBA Comfort Inn-On or about December 17, 2015, and times prior thereto, employees were exposed to blood or other potentially infectious material during laundering and housekeeping operations performed throughout the facility. Employees had not received training on what Bloodborne pathogens were and how to properly protect themselves from exposure to blood or OPIM.

Issued

2016-03-21 00:00:00

Abate by

2016-06-06 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

Hazardous substances 8400

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1030(g)(2)(vii)(A): The bloodborne pathogens training program did not contain an accessible copy of the regulatory text of this standard:      a) Meridian Hotels, Inc. DBA Comfort Inn-On or about December 17, 2015, and times prior thereto, employees were exposed to blood or other potentially infectious material during laundering and housekeeping operations performed throughout the facility. The employer's Bloodborne Pathogens training program did not contain an accessible copy of the Bloodborne Pathogen Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030) regulatory text and an explanation of its contents.

Issued

2016-03-21 00:00:00

Abate by

2016-06-06 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $2000.00 · Current $1200.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances 8400

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.) Meridian Hotels, Inc. DBA Comfort Inn- On or about December 17, 2015, the employer had not obtained signed declination statements from employees who declined to accept hepatitis B vaccinations. Employees were exposed to blood or other potentially infectious material during laundering and housekeeping operations performed throughout the facility.

Issued

2016-03-21 00:00:00

Abate by

2016-06-06 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

Hazardous substances 8400

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1030(h)(1)(ii)(B): The medical record for an employee with occupational exposure did not include a copy of the employee's hepatitis B vaccination status, including the dates of all the hepatitis B vaccinations or any medical records relative to the employee's ability to receive vaccination as required by 29 CFR 1910.1030(f)(2):    a.) Meridian Hotels, Inc. DBA Comfort Inn- On or about December 17, 2015, the employer had not obtained records of employees' hepatitis B vaccination status.  Employees were exposed to blood or other potentially infectious material during laundering and housekeeping operations performed throughout the facility.

Issued

2016-03-21 00:00:00

Abate by

2016-06-06 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $1600.00 · Current $900.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances 197020852140

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:    a) Meridian Hotels, Inc. DBA Comfort Inn- On or about December 17, 2015, and times prior thereto employees were working with and around hazardous substances including, but not limited to, Potassium Hydroxide, Phosphoric Acid and Oxalic Acid while performing housekeeping and laudering duties. Employees were not provided with Hazard Communication training on hazardous chemicals they worked with and around.