OSHA Inspection: STERLING HEALTH AND REHABILITATION CENTER LLC

Issued

Feb 8, 2022

Abate by

Mar 14, 2022

Penalty

Initial $4,351 · Current $2,611 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)  Sterling Health and Rehabilitation Center LLC, dba Sterling Health and Rehabilitation Center, at 1420 S 3rd Avenue, Sterling, CO: On and prior to 12/10/2021,  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.   Employees provided healthcare services to residents.  Employees were required to wear Harley Commodity model L-288 N95 "Bona Fide Masks" or 3M N95 filtering facepiece respirators when caring for residents in isolation.

Issued

Feb 8, 2022

Abate by

Mar 14, 2022

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.134(k): The employer did not provide comprehensive, understandable training which did not occur annually and/or more often if necessary:  (a)  Sterling Health and Rehabilitation Center LLC, dba Sterling Health and Rehabilitation Center, at 1420 S 3rd Avenue, Sterling, CO: On and prior to 12/10/2021,  the employer did not provide comprehensive annual training.   Employees provided healthcare services to residents.  Employees were required to wear Harley Commodity model L-288 N95 "Bona Fide Masks" or 3M N95 filtering facepiece respirators when caring for residents in isolation.  Employees were not provided comprehensive annual respirator training, which included but was not limited to the respirator wearer seal check method and were thus potentially exposed to hazards from the SARS-CoV-2 virus .

Issued

Feb 8, 2022

Abate by

Mar 14, 2022

Penalty

Initial $5,801 · Current $3,481 Reduced

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)  Sterling Health and Rehabilitation Center LLC, dba Sterling Health and Rehabilitation Center, at 1420 S 3rd Avenue, Sterling, CO: On and prior to 12/10/2021, the employer did not ensure that the review and update of the exposure control plan documented annually consideration and implementation of appropriate commercially available and effective safer medical devices designed to eliminate or minimize occupational exposure.   Healthcare staff utilized syringes with needles, lancets, and insulin pens with needles during care of residents.  Healthcare staff were occupationally exposed to blood or other potentially infectious materials when using or disposing the medical devices.

Issued

Feb 8, 2022

Abate by

Mar 14, 2022

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1030(d)(4)(iii)(A)(1):  Contaminated sharps were not immediately discarded in containers that were closable, puncture resistant, leakproof and labeled or color-coded according to paragraph g(1)(i) of this standard:  (a)  Sterling Health and Rehabilitation Center LLC, dba Sterling Health and Rehabilitation Center, at 1420 S 3rd Avenue, Sterling, CO: On and prior to 1/4/2022, the employer did not ensure that contaminated sharps were immediately discarded in containers that were closable, puncture resistant, leakproof and labeled or color-coded.   Healthcare staff utilized syringes with needles, lancets, and insulin pens with needles during care of residents in their rooms with the door closed.  Healthcare staff were occupationally exposed to blood or other potentially infectious materials when using or disposing the medical devices.   Following use of a medical device, the contaminated sharp was transported from the resident room, opening the room door and passing through the exit, while traveling to the nurse's cart in the hallway.

Issued

Feb 8, 2022

Abate by

Mar 14, 2022

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1030(c)(2)(i)(A): The exposure determination did not include a list of all job classifications in which all employees in those job classifications had occupational exposure:  (a)  Sterling Health and Rehabilitation Center LLC, dba Sterling Health and Rehabilitation Center, at 1420 S 3rd Avenue, Sterling, CO: On and prior to 12/10/2021, the employer did not ensure that the exposure determination included a list of all job classifications in which all employees in those job classifications had occupational exposure.  Staff performed tasks at the facility, including nursing and housekeeping tasks, which had occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM).  The Exposure Control Plan did not list housekeeping as a job classification which had occupational exposure and thus  potentially exposed housekeeping staff to a bloodborne pathogen hazard.