OSHA Inspection: WATSEKA HCO LLC

Issued

Jul 11, 2022

Abate by

Aug 30, 2022

Penalty

Initial $5,801 · Current $3,481 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:  Watseka HCO LLC located at 715 E. Raymond in Watseka, IL.   On or about January 19, 2022 and times thereafter, the employer did not provide a medical evaluation to determine each employee's ability to use a respirator before requiring the use.  The employer required employees to wear N95 respirators while providing care to suspected and confirmed positive COVID-19 residents and after positive employee tests.

Issued

Jul 11, 2022

Abate by

Aug 30, 2022

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.134(f)(5): The fit test was not administered using an OSHA-accepted qualitative fit test or quantitative fit test protocol:  Watseka HCO LLC located at 715 E. Raymond in Watseka, IL.   On or about May 19, 2022 and times thereafter, the employer did not ensure employees received a fit test using an OSHA-accepted QLFT or QNFT protocol as contained in appendix A of the standard.  Employees with facial hair that interfered with the seal of the respirator and employees that continued to smell test agent were passed through a qualitative test and not refitted and retested.  The employer required employees to wear N95 respirators while providing care to suspected and confirmed positive COVID-19 residents and after positive employee tests.

Issued

Jul 11, 2022

Abate by

Aug 30, 2022

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.134(g)(1)(i)(A): Respirators with tight-fitting facepieces were worn by employees who had facial hair that came between the sealing surface of the facepiece and the face:  Watseka HCO LLC located at 715 E. Raymond in Watseka, IL.   On or about May 19, 2022 and times thereafter, the employer did not prohibit employees with facial hair that interfered with the seal of the N95 respirator from wearing an N95.  The employer required employees to wear N95 respirators while providing care to suspected and confirmed positive COVID-19 residents and after positive employee tests.

Issued

Jul 11, 2022

Abate by

Aug 30, 2022

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.134(k)(5)(ii): Retraining was not conducted when inadequacies in the employee's knowledge or use of the respirator indicated that the employee did not retain the necessary training or skill:   Watseka HCO LLC located at 715 E. Raymond in Watseka, IL.   On or about May 19, 2022 and times thereafter, employees wore N95 respirators with facial hair that interfered with the seal of the respirator and wore a Hart N95 with an exhalation valve and the employer did not ensure employees retained the necessary training that N95 respirators are not to be used when facial hair interferes with the seal of the respirator to the face and an N95 with an exhalation valve does not protect others from the exhausted air.  The employer required employees to wear N95 respirators while providing care to suspected and confirmed positive COVID-19 residents and after positive employee tests.

Issued

Jul 11, 2022

Abate by

Aug 30, 2022

Penalty

Initial $2,901 · Current $1,741 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.134(f)(2): Employee(s) using tight-fitting facepiece respirators were not fit tested prior to initial use of the respirator, whenever a different respirator facepiece (size, style, model or make) is used and at least annually thereafter:  Watseka HCO LLC located at 715 E. Raymond in Watseka, IL.   On or about January 19, 2022 and times thereafter, the employer did not ensure employees using tight-fitting facepiece respirators were fit tested prior to initial use of the respirator, whenever a different respirator make is used and at least annually thereafter.  The employer required employees to wear N95 respirators while providing care to suspected and confirmed positive COVID-19 residents and after positive employee tests.  Watseka HCO LLC was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard 29 CFR  1910.134(f)(2), which was contained in OSHA inspection number 1507607, citation number 1, item number 1 and was affirmed as a final order on May 4, 2021, with respect to a workplace located at 715 E. Raymond in Watseka, IL.

Issued

Jul 11, 2022

Abate by

Aug 30, 2022

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.502(q)(2)(ii)(A):The COVID-19 log did not contain, the employee's name, one form of contact information, occupation, location where the employee worked, the date of the employee's last day at the workplace, the date of the positive test for, or diagnosis of, COVID-19, and the date the employee first had one or more COVID-19 symptoms, if any were experienced.    Watseka HCO LLC located at 715 E Raymond Rd in Watseka, IL.    On or about May 19, 2022, the employer failed to ensure the COVID-19 log contained, one form of contact information, the employees occupation and the date of the employee's last day at the workplace.