OSHA fines Boston-area hospital for hazard violations
Hospital Safety Insider, August 21, 2014
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OSHA has penalized a hospital in the Boston area $28,000 for several violations of the agency’s bloodborne pathogens standard, according to a report from WBZ-TV.
The fines stem from complaints received about the conditions at Wakefield-Melrose Hospital, which triggered an OSHA inspection of the facility. According to documents quoted in the report, OSHA inspectors found several violations, including potential sharps injuries “when contaminated disposable blades are included with reusable surgical instruments to be cleaned and sterilized.”
In addition, the documents reported that “surgical employees did not always disassemble and wipe down used surgical instruments, and also that “surgical employees placed open or loosely covered basins containing hazardous medical waste (excess blood, tissue, bone, feces, fat, etc.) and contaminated instruments into utility carts that leaked these contaminated fluids …”
According to the report, hospital officials have said that the issues are being addressed and steps are being taken to avoid future violations.
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