OSHA citation claims health and safety violations at VA

[Guest guest]

http://www.herald-mail.com/?

module=displaystory & story_id=182825 & format=html

Tuesday January 8, 2008

By MATTHEW UMSTEAD martinsburg@...

MARTINSBURG, W.VA. — The Veterans Affairs Medical Center near

sburg was issued a notice of " Unsafe or Unhealthful Working

Conditions " last month after the Occupational Health and Safety

Administration found three health and safety violations in a November

2007 inspection, officials confirmed Tuesday.

Two of the violations were " serious " according to the notice, which

was issued Dec. 27, 2007, by the Occupational Health and Safety

Administration (OSHA), according to a copy of a document posted at

the medical center off Town Road east of sburg. The

hospital has until Jan. 24 to fix the serious violations, unless it

requests an informal conference with the U.S. Department of Labor

within 15 days of receiving the notice.

" We don't discuss these inspections until they are closed, " Prentice

Cline, OSHA's assistant area director based in ton, W.Va.,

said Tuesday.

Medical center spokeswoman Barbara B. Corbin admitted the hospital

was in violation of OSHA protocols and was " following up " to comply

with laws meant to protect employees' health and safety.

" This is an issue that we are very, very concerned about, and we want

to do the right thing, " Corbin said Tuesday.

Corbin confirmed that OSHA's allegations were to some degree related

to the hospital's removal of mold from two mechanical rooms

discovered in October 2006.

Corbin said the hospital spent $71,000 on mold abatement in two

mechanical rooms and related costs.

The rooms are near the equipment that sterilizes instruments used in

the operating room of the hospital, Corbin said.

" In order to remove the mold, access to this equipment was limited, "

and some procedures in the operating room were canceled, Corbin said

in an e-mail response to an inquiry made in September 2007. Other

equipment was sterilized off-campus, she said.

When inspected Nov. 20 and Nov. 21, 2007, OSHA officials allege they

found conditions indicating the hospital did not ensure certain

employees could demonstrate knowledge of the limitations of

respirators they are to use when exposed to hazards such as paint

vapors, mold/fungi and tuberculosis, according to the notice.

" The employer has not provided employees with sufficient training and

information on respirators to ensure they are aware of the

limitations of their respirator cartridges or respirator types, "

according to the OSHA notice.

OSHA officials also alleged that hospital employees required to wear

respiratory protection when exposed to previously mentioned hazards,

along with drywall dust and TB isolation rooms, were not given

an " odor threshold test, " a step to ensure a respirator mask fits

properly.

Corbin said mold also was found near ice machines and mechanical

rooms.

" When discovered, the areas were contained. Remediation and abatement

projects were promptly developed and implemented, " Corbin said in

September.

Corbin said then that a few employees had expressed concern about the

mold problem and the hospital was addressing their concerns on an

individual basis.

" We have increased environment of care surveillance rounds throughout

the Medical Center where mold may be present, e.g., in mechanical

rooms, near ice machines, and other high moisture areas, " Corbin said

in the e-mail.

" Mold abatement projects have been completed and an aggressive

inspection program to proactively address any potential sources of

mold is in place, " she said in the e-mail.

A third OSHA-issued violation in the notice faulted the hospital for

failing to provide employees with timely access to their medical

records.

" A request for access to medical records of employees included in the

asbestos exposure medical surveillance program was made .... on

November 5, 2007, " according to the OSHA notice, which was posted

near the medical center's gift shop on the main floor.

Corbin said she believed the hospital did, in fact, miss a deadline,

in responding to the records request, but noted letters ultimately

were sent to affected employees in late November.

OSHA gave the hospital until today to abate the records release

violation.