One ED was fined $9K for these unsafe practices
Here are some of the alleged violations of the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard that occurred at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, NY, which resulted in several citations and $9,000 in fines, according to Occupational Safety & Health Administration inspection No. 305769994:
- Doctors performed wound irrigation procedures without using a splash shield to control splashing, spraying, or generation of droplets of blood and other potentially infectious materials.
- Contaminated reusable sharps were placed on open-topped flat trays that were not labeled or color-coded and were not placed in appropriate containers until properly reprocessed.
- The employer did not ensure that nurses and doctors used personal protective equipment such as protective gowns and shoe coverings to prevent blood from reaching the employees’ work clothes during wound irrigation procedures, treatment of people with lacerations, miscarriages, and other procedures.
- The employer did not ensure that appropriate personal protective equipment such as shoe coverings was readily accessible in the ED or other work areas where gross contamination by blood or other potentially infectious materials may be found.
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