Medical Practice Fined $45,000, Cited by OSHA for Failing to Protect against Bloodborne Pathogens

A Newburgh, New York, medical practice has received fines totaling $44,800 and numerous citations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for providing inadequate worker safety precautions against bloodborne pathogens, states a March 26, 2013, OSHA press release. As a result of OSHA’s inspection of a complaint against the medical center, the agency issued a citation (including a $28,000 fine) for using non-safety-engineered hypodermic needles instead of safer products, such as needleless systems and sharps with engineered sharp protections. OSHA standards require that employers provide staff with safer medical devices to minimize sharp hazards. Furthermore, OSHA regulations require that employers establish and maintain a written exposure control program that describes the protective measures the facility uses to minimize employees’ exposure to blood and other potentially infectious substances.