In a recent report, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration listed the most frequently cited bloodborne pathogen violations in ambulatory surgery centers, according to an report published in the Nov. 2011 issue of AORN Journal.
According to the report, OSHA has increased medical facility inspections over the past four years, meaning agents are citing more ASCs and physician offices for bloodborne pathogen standard violations. Such violations make up the majority of OSHA medical facility citations in recent years.
According to the report, the most frequent causes of bloodborne pathogen violations were:
• Outdated or nonexistent exposure control plans
• Poor documentation
• Failure to use safety devices
• Lack of free training during working hours
The violations that merited the largest fines involved:
• Failure to immediately remove personal protective equipment penetrated with body fluids
• Failure to use safety devices
• Failure to provide workers with a free Hepatitis B vaccination and follow-up
According to the report, OSHA adopted the mandatory bloodborne pathogen standard 20 years ago to protect healthcare workers from exposure to blood, body fluids and infectious material.
Learn more about AORN.
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According to the report, OSHA has increased medical facility inspections over the past four years, meaning agents are citing more ASCs and physician offices for bloodborne pathogen standard violations. Such violations make up the majority of OSHA medical facility citations in recent years.
According to the report, the most frequent causes of bloodborne pathogen violations were:
• Outdated or nonexistent exposure control plans
• Poor documentation
• Failure to use safety devices
• Lack of free training during working hours
The violations that merited the largest fines involved:
• Failure to immediately remove personal protective equipment penetrated with body fluids
• Failure to use safety devices
• Failure to provide workers with a free Hepatitis B vaccination and follow-up
According to the report, OSHA adopted the mandatory bloodborne pathogen standard 20 years ago to protect healthcare workers from exposure to blood, body fluids and infectious material.
Learn more about AORN.
Related Articles on Infection Control:
Researchers Find Acinetobacter Baumannii in Nearly Half of Infected Patient Rooms
Dr. Donald Russell Johnson's License Suspended for Abandoning Patients
NuHealth Implement Department of Defense AHRQ Program to Tackle Medical Errors
