Essentia fined $27,300 with six OSHA violations

By WDIO

Essentia Health is facing six violations from the Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OSHA), and with it comes thousands of dollars in fines.

According to documents filed with the Minnesota Department of Labor Industry, violations relate to lack of safety equipment, exposure to contaminated sharps, improper training, and chemical hazard prevention.

Official documents say the inspection was performed on April 11, and the citations were issued on July 30. Essentia Health had until Friday, August 23 to fix the six violations, all of which have been deemed serious violations.

Violation 1: $4,200

  • The employer did not provide adequate eye protection for employees such as safety goggles working in the Lab who were preparing 24 hour urine collections and pouring corrosive chemicals such as acetic acid and hydrochloric acid.
  • The employer did not provide adequate eye protection for employees such as safety goggles or working in the Maintenance Department who were unclogging sinks and pouring corrosive cleaning chemicals such as So-Drox.

Violation 2: $4,200

  • The employer did not provide a suitable station for quick drenching or flushing of the eyes, such as an emergency eyewash station, for maintenance employees that unclogged sinks. Employees were exposed to So-Drox which was a corrosive product with a pH of 13+

Violation 3: $4,900

  • Proper engineering and work practice controls, such as tongs or forceps, were not provided to Environmental Services employees to prevent needlestick injuries.

Violation 4: $6,300

  • Sharps containers were not replaced routinely and were allowed to be overfilled in the Duluth Clinic 3rd Street. 400 E 3rd St. 3rd floor Lab, and restrooms numbered: DC2 and DC3.

Violation 5: $3,500

  • The employer did not provide initial bloodborne pathogen training to 1 employee in Environmental Services and 1 employee in Maintenance.
  • Annual Bloodborne Pathogen Training was not adequate for Environmental Services employees with occupational exposures.

Violation 6: $4,200

  • The employer did not provide training that covered the detection of hazardous chemicals, physical health hazards of the chemicals, how employees should protect themselves, and the details of the hazard communication program for employees in the lab and maintenance areas of the hospital. Lab employees were exposed to acetic acid and hydrochloric acid while preparing 24 hour urine collections for patients.

In a statement to WDIO, Essentia says: “Essentia Health prioritizes the safety and well-being of its staff, providing secure working conditions. When OSHA concerns are raised, we take immediate and comprehensive action to address and resolve the issues to foster a safe environment for our staff and the high-quality care we provide. We are constantly working diligently to implement measures to ensure compliance with safety regulations and standards.”

Essentia also says the violations have been resolved.