The Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center has received a fine from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for COVID-19 safety violations. The hospital violated two worker health and safety rules during the pandemic. These violations placed workers at a heightened risk to contract COVID-19.
OSHA Safety Violations
On September 22nd, OSHA began their inspection after receiving a complaint. After finding two serious violations, OSHA issued the hospital a $14,630 fine. The fine now stands at $11,704 after OSHA has since categorized the violations as “other” instead of “serious”. The hospital violated federal standards that require them to a conduct hazard assessment to address COVID-19 concerns. The requirement of conducting further training when an employee’s duties change and place them at a higher risk to contract COVID-19 was also violated.
A statement issued by Saint Alphonsus addressed OSHA’s concerns: “Saint Alphonsus takes colleague safety and its OSHA obligations very seriously, and its commitment to ensuring a safe work environment has been a continued focus of the organization prior to and throughout the pandemic”. The hospital also mentioned they have updated their safety practices to address the violations.
The Inspection
The original complaint that prompted OSHA’s investigation included six potential violations. Most concerns were in regards to improper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and lack of training on new COVID-19 protocols. Due to the surge of COVID-19 cases, the hospital had to create an additional COVID-19 unit. Moreover, this new unit created several added challenges. No space to put on PPE, lack of proper ventilation and cleaning procedures, and traveling between units are just a few of these concerns.
After the inspection the hospital received violations for two out of the six total concerns. Saint Alphonsus has since stated that they have addressed these OSHA violations. The hospital has implemented additional employee training on COVID-19 protocols as well as updating their hazard assessment protocols.
Get Certified
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References:
The Idaho Capital Sun (2022, March 2). OSHA fines Saint Alphonsus for COVID-19 worker safety violations. Retrieved from: https://idahocapitalsun.com/2022/03/03/osha-fines-saint-alphonsus-for-covid-19-worker-safety-violations/
