OSHA Inspection: VIRTUA HOSPITAL

Issued

Nov 14, 2016

Abate by

Nov 25, 2016

Penalty

Initial $5,345 · Current $5,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(e)(1): The employer did not provide a medical evaluation to determine the employee's ability to use a respirator, before the employee was fit tested or required to use the respirator in the workplace:    a) Processing Room: The employer did not provide a medical evaluation to the Lab Deiner that wore a 3M half mask respirator to use when discarding tissue specimens and for emptying a 5 gallon tank of formalin and xylene weekly, on or about 7/22/16.    b) Processing Room: The employer did not provide a medical evaluation to the Histology Technician that wore a 3M half mask respirator to use when emptying xylene into a 5 gallon tank weekly, on or about 7/22/16.    c) Gross Room: The employer did not provide a medical evaluation to the Pathology Assistant that wore a Honeywell 5400 Series full face respirator to use when performing biopsies on tissue specimens, on or about 8/29/16.    NOTE: IN ADDITION TO ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION, THE EMPLOYER IS REQUIRED TO SUBMIT ABATEMENT DOCUMENTATION FOR THIS ITEM. FAILURE TO COMPLY WILL RESULT IN AN ADDITIONAL PENALTY OF $1000.00 IN ACCORDANCE WITH 29 CFR 1903.19.

Issued

Nov 14, 2016

Abate by

Nov 25, 2016

Penalty

Initial $12,471 · Current $7,500 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1290

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1048(c)(1): Employees were exposed to an airborne concentration of formaldehyde which exceeded 0.75 parts per million, as an 8-hour time weighted average:    a) Gross Room: An employee was exposed to formaldehyde. The employee's exposure was 3.20 ppm, which was approximately 4.26 times the permissible exposure level of 0.75 ppm. The sampling was conducted for 420 minutes during one 8 hour shift on 8/3/16. Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled time.    NOTE: IN ADDITION TO ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION, THE EMPLOYER IS REQUIRED TO SUBMIT ABATEMENT DOCUMENTATION FOR THIS ITEM. FAILURE TO COMPLY WILL RESULT IN AN ADDITIONAL PENALTY OF $1000.00 IN ACCORDANCE WITH 29 CFR 1903.19.

Issued

Nov 14, 2016

Abate by

Nov 25, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 1290

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1048(f)(1): Engineering controls and work practices. The employer shall institute engineering and work practice controls to reduce and maintain employee exposures to formaldehyde at or below the TWA and the STEL.  The employer did not institute engineering and work practice controls for employees with the following exposures:  a) Gross Room: An employee was exposed to formaldehyde. The employee's exposure was 3.20 ppm, which was approximately 4.26 times the permissible exposure level of 0.75 ppm. The sampling was conducted for 420 minutes during one 8 hour shift on 8/3/16. Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled time.  NOTE: IN ADDITION TO ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION, THE EMPLOYER IS REQUIRED TO SUBMIT ABATEMENT DOCUMENTATION FOR THIS ITEM. FAILURE TO COMPLY WILL RESULT IN AN ADDITIONAL PENALTY OF $1000.00 IN ACCORDANCE WITH 29 CFR 1903.19.

Issued

Nov 14, 2016

Abate by

Nov 25, 2016

Penalty

Initial $12,471 · Current $7,500 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1290

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1048(d)(2)(ii): The initial monitoring process was not repeated each time there was a change in production, equipment, process, personnel, or control measures which could have resulted in new or additional exposure to formaldehyde:    a) Gross Room: Air monitoring was not conducted when the Mopec Grossing Workstation was added to the Gross Room, on or about 7/18/16.    b) Gross Room: Air monitoring was not conducted when an additional Pathology Assistant was working in the Gross Room, on or about 7/5/16.    NOTE: IN ADDITION TO ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION, THE EMPLOYER IS REQUIRED TO SUBMIT ABATEMENT DOCUMENTATION FOR THIS ITEM. FAILURE TO COMPLY WILL RESULT IN AN ADDITIONAL PENALTY OF $1000.00 IN ACCORDANCE WITH 29 CFR 1903.19.

Issued

Nov 14, 2016

Abate by

Nov 25, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 1290

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1048(d)(2)(iii): The employer received reports of signs or symptoms of respiratory or dermal conditions associated with formaldehyde exposure and the employer did not promptly monitor the affected employee's exposure:  a) Gross Room: The employer did not promptly conduct air monitoring of employees that reported signs or symptoms of respiratory or dermal conditions associated with formaldehyde exposure, on or about 7/22/16.   NOTE: IN ADDITION TO ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION, THE EMPLOYER IS REQUIRED TO SUBMIT ABATEMENT DOCUMENTATION FOR THIS ITEM. FAILURE TO COMPLY WILL RESULT IN AN ADDITIONAL PENALTY OF $1000.00 IN ACCORDANCE WITH 29 CFR 1903.19.

Issued

Nov 14, 2016

Abate by

Nov 25, 2016

Penalty

Initial $12,471 · Current $7,500 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1290

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1048(e)(1)(i): The employer shall establish regulated areas where the concentration of airborne formaldehyde exceeds either the TWA or the STEL and post all entrances and access ways with signs bearing the following legend:      DANGER   FORMALDEHYDE   MAY CAUSE CANCER   CAUSES SKIN, EYE, AND RESPIRATORY IRRITATION   AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY    The employer did not establish a regulated area  for employees with the following exposures:    a) Gross Room: An employee was exposed to formaldehyde. The employee's exposure was 3.20 ppm, which was approximately 4.26 times the permissible exposure level of 0.75 ppm. The sampling was conducted for 420 minutes during one 8 hour shift on 8/3/16. Zero exposure was assumed for the unsampled time.     NOTE: IN ADDITION TO ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION, THE EMPLOYER IS REQUIRED TO SUBMIT ABATEMENT DOCUMENTATION FOR THIS ITEM. FAILURE TO COMPLY WILL RESULT IN AN ADDITIONAL PENALTY OF $1000.00 IN ACCORDANCE WITH 29 CFR 1903.19.

Issued

Nov 14, 2016

Abate by

Nov 25, 2016

Penalty

Initial $12,471 · Current $7,500 Reduced

Hazardous substances 1290

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1048(n)(1): The employer shall assure that all employees who are assigned to workplaces where there is exposure to formaldehyde participate in a training program, except that where the employer can show, using objective data, that employees are not exposed to formaldehyde at or above 0.1 ppm, the employer is not required to provide training.    a)  Gross Room: The employer did not ensure that all employees who work in the Gross Room where there is exposure to formaldehyde participated in a training program, on or about 7/22/16.     NOTE: IN ADDITION TO ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION, THE EMPLOYER IS REQUIRED TO SUBMIT ABATEMENT DOCUMENTATION FOR THIS ITEM. FAILURE TO COMPLY WILL RESULT IN AN ADDITIONAL PENALTY OF $1000.00 IN ACCORDANCE WITH 29 CFR 1903.19.

Issued

Nov 14, 2016

Abate by

Nov 25, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 1290

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) Facility: Training on the hazards of chemicals in the workplace was not provided for employees who were exposed to chemicals including, but not limited to 10% Neutral Buffered Formalin, on or about 7/22/16.   NOTE: IN ADDITION TO ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION, THE EMPLOYER IS REQUIRED TO SUBMIT ABATEMENT DOCUMENTATION FOR THIS ITEM. FAILURE TO COMPLY WILL RESULT IN AN ADDITIONAL PENALTY OF $1000.00 IN ACCORDANCE WITH 29 CFR 1903.19.

Issued

Nov 14, 2016

Abate by

Nov 25, 2016

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.134(h)(2)(i): Respirators were not stored to protect them from damage, contamination, dust, sunlight, extreme temperatures, excessive moisture, and damaging chemicals or  were not packed or stored to prevent deformation of the facepiece and exhalation valve:  a) Gross Room: An employee's 3M half mask respirator was improperly stored on a metal shelf, on or about 7/22/16.   NOTE: THE EMPLOYER IS REQUIRED TO SUBMIT ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION FOR THIS ITEM. FAILURE TO COMPLY WILL RESULT IN AN ADDITIONAL PENALTY OF $1000.00 IN ACCORDANCE WITH 29 CFR 1903.19.