The U.S. Department of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited LabCorp for alleged repeat and serious health violations following a November 2012 complaint inspection of its Schenectady, N.Y., location by the OSHA’s Albany, N.Y., area office. OSHA found that phlebotomy technicians who drew blood did not receive required training until after working with the blood. In addition, workers were not trained on procedures in the event of an exposure incident. OSHA’s bloodborne pathogen standard requires employers to provide workers with regular training, which includes steps to take in the aftermath of an exposure, and to provide training before workers begin working with blood. One repeat violation was issued with $38,500 in proposed fines. A repeat violation exists when an employer previously had been cited for the same or similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule, or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years. Similar hazards were cited in 2011 at a Jersey City, N.J., facility. “The failure of Laboratory Corp. to provide adequate and timely training needlessly placed workers at risk,” said Kimberly Castillon, OSHA’s area director in Albany. “The health and wellness of Laboratory Corp. workers depends on this company […]
The U.S. Department of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited LabCorp for alleged repeat and serious health violations following a November 2012 complaint inspection of its Schenectady, N.Y., location by the OSHA’s Albany, N.Y., area office.
OSHA found that phlebotomy technicians who drew blood did not receive required training until after working with the blood. In addition, workers were not trained on procedures in the event of an exposure incident. OSHA’s bloodborne pathogen standard requires employers to provide workers with regular training, which includes steps to take in the aftermath of an exposure, and to provide training before workers begin working with blood.
One repeat violation was issued with $38,500 in proposed fines. A repeat violation exists when an employer previously had been cited for the same or similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule, or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years. Similar hazards were cited in 2011 at a Jersey City, N.J., facility.
“The failure of Laboratory Corp. to provide adequate and timely training needlessly placed workers at risk,” said Kimberly Castillon, OSHA’s area director in Albany. “The health and wellness of Laboratory Corp. workers depends on this company promptly and effectively addressing these issues at all its locations.”
Three serious violations, with $19,500 in proposed fines, includes the failure to have specific procedures to inform workers on obtaining post-exposure care, update the exposure control program to reflect technological changes to eliminate or reduce bloodborne pathogen exposures, and train workers exposed to traysol, a chemical used in stabilizing and shipping blood samples, about its physical and health hazards. A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
