After several instances of employees being exposed to patients' blood, Food Service and EVS employees at St. Francis decided to stand up for a safe workplace and contact the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). As a result, OSHA fined St. Francis $23,800 for failing to protect workers from illnesses spread through blood.
OSHA found that the hospital failed to properly train workers on how to protect themselves from diseases transmitted through blood, known as bloodborne pathogens.
Specifically, St. Francis was fined for:
- Failure to provide bloodborne pathogen training that is understandable and that includes a time for employees to ask questions.
- Failure to train environmental and food service workers about how the specific job tasks they perform may expose them to bloodborne pathogens.
- Failure to provide employees with information about what to do if they come into contact with bloodborne pathogens.
- Failure to tell employees that if they are exposed to bloodborne pathogens the hospital is required to provide them with medical attention.