Ambulance Company Cited for Infection Control, Other Workplace Safety Violations
August 19, 2015 | Strategic Insights for Health System
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An Ohio ambulance company is facing more than $235,000 in proposed penalties for failing to properly protect its employees who transported patients from exposure to blood and other potentially infectious body fluids, reports an August 11, 2015, news release from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Following a complaint in February, OSHA conducted an inspection of the facility and uncovered several serious health violations. Among other violations, the company was cited for failing to clean, launder, or dispose of personal protective equipment and clothing at no cost to employees; not ensuring medical evaluations and procedures, including blood tests, were made available quickly to employees after an exposure; not providing employees with the results of postexposure evaluation tests; and failing to train workers on health hazards and precautions to prevent exposure.