OSHA Inspection: METROPOLITAN PATHOLOGISTS, P.C.

Issued

2020-02-26 00:00:00

Abate by

2020-03-23 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $9446.00 · Current $8020.00 Reduced

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) On or about September 10, 2019, and at times prior, the employer did not ensure that employees working in the pathology lab at Littleton Adventist Hospital were protected from the harmful effects of overexposure to formaldehyde, a carcinogen, where an exposure exceeded OSHA's permissible exposure limit (PEL) during grossing and other laboratory operations.   Between September 6, 2018, and September 5, 2019, the employer measured employee exposure to formaldehyde and recorded exceedances of the PEL of 0.75 ppm with results between 1.2 ppm to 1.9 ppm.  OSHA measured employee exposure on September 10, 2019, with results of 1.3 ppm.         Abatement note: Abatement certification and documentation is required for this item.  See Certification of Corrective Action Worksheet.

Issued

2020-02-26 00:00:00

Abate by

2020-03-23 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1048(c)(2): Employees were exposed to an airborne concentration of formaldehyde which exceeded two parts per million as a 15-minute short term exposure limit (STEL):   (a) On or about September 10, 2019, and at times prior, the employer did not ensure that the pathologist grossing specimens preserved in formalin was protected from the harmful effects of exposure to formaldehyde, a carcinogen, where short term exposures exceeded the OSHA STEL.  Between September 6, 2018, and September 5, 2019, the employer measured employee exposure to formaldehyde and recorded exceedances of the STEL of 2.0 ppm with two results of greater than the upper limit of quantitation of 10 ppm.  OSHA measured employee exposure on September 10, 2019, with results of 2.99 ppm and 13.77 ppm.       (b) On or about September 10, 2019, and at times prior, the employer did not ensure that a pathology assistant handling cartridges and samples preserved in formalin was protected from the harmful effects of exposure to formaldehyde, a carcinogen, where short term exposures exceeded the OSHA STEL.  Between September 6, 2018, and September 5, 2019, the employer measured employee exposure to formaldehyde and recorded exceedances of the STEL of 2.0 ppm with results between 2.1 ppm to a result listed as greater than the upper limit of quantitation of 10 ppm.  OSHA measured employee exposure on September 10, 2019, with results of 2.57 ppm and 8.59 ppm.       Abatement note: Abatement certification is required for this item.  See Certification of Corrective Action Worksheet.

Issued

2020-02-26 00:00:00

Abate by

2020-09-15 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $9446.00 · Current $8020.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1048(g)(1)(iii): The employer did not provide required respirators and ensure their use by employees in work situations where feasible engineering and work-practice controls were not yet sufficient to reduce exposure to or below the Permissible exposure limits:     (a) On or about September 10, 2019, and at times prior, the employer did not ensure that employees working with formalin in a pathology lab who were overexposed to formaldehyde, a carcinogen, were protected from subsequent exposures in that they did not require respiratory protection during the period of time where engineering and work practice controls were insufficient to reduce exposures below OSHA limits.       Abatement note: Abatement certification and documentation are required for this item.  See Certification of Corrective Action Worksheet.

Issued

2020-02-26 00:00:00

Abate by

2020-09-15 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $9446.00 · Current $8020.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1048(l)(1)(i): The employer did not institute medical surveillance programs for all employees exposed to formaldehyde at concentrations at or exceeding the action level or exceeding the STEL:     (a) On or about September 10, 2019, and at times prior, the employer did not ensure that employees whose measured exposures to formaldehyde continuously exceeded the OSHA Action Level, PEL, and STEL were placed into a medical surveillance program to monitor for the effects of overexposure, including respiratory irritation or sensitization, dermal irritation or sensitization, and eye and mucous membrane irritation.       Abatement note: Abatement certification and documentation are required for this item.  See Certification of Corrective Action Worksheet.

Issued

2020-02-26 00:00:00

Abate by

2020-09-15 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $4048.00 · Current $3440.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.1048(n)(1): The employer did not ensure that all employees who were assigned to workplaces where there was exposure to formaldehyde participated in a training program:     (a) On or about September 10, 2019, and at times prior, the employer did not ensure that employees exposed to formaldehyde where airborne exposures exceeded the OSHA PEL and STEL were provided training that included the topics required by the standard.         Abatement note: Abatement certification and documentation are required for this item.  See Certification of Corrective Action Worksheet.