Medical Employers Should Be Aware of These Osha Fines

Quite often we imagine medical employers are held to different standards than the same companies that we buy our groceries from. The truth of the situation in medical employer rules and regulations are just as strict if not more so in every regard imaginable. Medical employers are not exempt from paying OSHA fines. There are instances throughout public record that indicate a rather disconcerting state of affairs in an institution we seem to trust almost implicitly. Recently an ambulance in Illinois was under operation while infected with bloodborne pathogens and various other infectious health hazards. It’s rare to expect an ambulance to be dangerous, although we all know that imperfections are a part of human nature. The medical service provider in Illinois was issued “five willful, 16 serious, and three other than-serious safety and health violations to the emergency medical service provider, with proposed penalties of $290,100.” states an article in a workplace safety journal. The same article explains a few of the violations where the medical service provider failed to comply:

• Establish an exposure control plan for bloodborne pathogens and other material;
• Make the hepatitis B vaccination series available to employees;
• Train workers about chemical and bloodborne pathogen hazards and precautions;
• Develop an emergency response plan;
• Train workers in operations level emergency response and about hazardous chemicals in their work area; and
• Follow electrical safe work practices.

Where do Medical Employers Fail Most Often?

This instance of bloodborne pathogens is a frightening one to say the least but it’s also not the main cause of fines in the medical business. A lot of the time companies do not properly communicate information on what HAZMAT chemicals are used or kept in their workplace. A detailed write-up on all the chemicals stored should be distributed to every employee working in the building, and a copy should be used in training and stored in the office at all times. Radiation is always a scary aspect of a Doctor’s visit, as it’s unique effects can be bizarre and absolutely terrifying to those of us who aren’t knowledgeable which is most people. Any time an X-ray machine is located in a facility exposure to the restricted radiation area should be limited with with strict monitoring of a personal device for every technician. Appropriate labeling and cautions signs should be everywhere there is a risk for exposure. Hospitals at times are large areas that can be largely foreign to people who are just visiting or are not attending patients. They need to be made extremely clear, and their location marked at every intersection and case available. Something that should also be marked at every possible location are HAZMAT gas and electrical equipment related to chemical usages. Anytime someone is hurt whether or not it is due to negligence on marking these signs or common mistakes that can be made at any occupation these events need to be recorded diligently and at records must be kept to avoid being fined. If violence is the case in a medical facility, which it often is do to the high rates statistics report it also must be documented and every precaution taken to prevent them. OSHA doesn’t actually have any standards set in place involving work place violence but failure to take precautions that could have been taken is negligence, and may be punishable in a standard they deem necessary.

We take a lot of pride in maintaining a close and scrutinously developed knowledge of all OSHA Fines and Regulations regarding HAZMAT storage in every field. We are constantly updating our building to know the needed information in every situation required by our workforce. If you have questions about HAZMAT rentals and how they may help you navigate OSHA Fines and regulations please give us a call at your convenience. Our customers get the best service in the business and working with us ensures that you get to save a lot of pain, headache, and money with our rentals. There’s a great deal of regulations that require constant attention that many people in charge of businesses and even safety in a workplace may not have the time to address. We’ll do the work for you, and when you’re under the proverbial magnifying glass for rules and regulation inspections by OSHA you can rest easy knowing your company and livelihood are safe.