All Entries Tagged With: "OSHA"
No violations found in incident involving heavy equipment that injured two
OSHA found no violations in an incident at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, IL, where a 3,000 pound piece of equipment came crashing down in a maintenance corridor, injuring two workers.
Kathy Webb, an OSHA area director in Aurora, IL, told The Chicago Tribune’s TribLocal of Downers Grove that OSHA will not issue any citations because there are no standards that cover removing air conditioning and heating equipment, which happened to be what fell on top of the men.
OSHA officials looked at the guidelines, as well as accepted industry practices and standards, and could not come to an agreement on the proper way to remove equipment that large.
How do you think OSHA should have handled the situation? Should citations have been issued? Let us know in our comment section.
Massachusetts facility fined for electrical safety issues
Northeast Hospital Corp., located in Beverly, MA, is facing a $63,000 fine after an investigation by OSHA.
The investigation was prompted by a worker’s complaint that hospital employees didn’t have or use personal protective equipment when handling electrical equipment.
OSHA also found that the hospital’s electrical protective equipment wasn’t tested regularly and electrical safety procedures were not executed properly.
OSHA issued a repeat citation for failing to prove unused openings in electrical panels and cabinet motor control centers had been closed since being cited in May 2010
The facility has 15 business days from the day of its citation, February 15, to comply with hospital safety standards.
What practices does your facility follow in electrical safety? Let us know in our comment section.
OSHA investigates 3,000-pound equipment fall that injures two
A 3,000-pound piece of equipment fell onto two men in an Illinois hospital on January 19 and has spurred an investigation by (OSHA).
The accident happened at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, IL, where two hospital workers were injured in a narrow maintenance corridor, reported The Chicago Tribune. The investigation is still ongoing.
A hospital spokeswoman reported the organization is unsure of the cause of the accident and that it plans to execute all recommendations given by OSHA after the investigation.
Advocate Good Samaritan has been in the spotlight before with OSHA, in 2002 and in 1993. In 2002, OSHA inspectors found blocked doors and walkways, but the hospital was not fined. In 1993, OSHA found that workers were exposed to patients infected with tuberculosis, and were not given the appropriate number of respirators, reported The Chicago Tribune.
How does your facility help prevent accidents like this? Let us know in our comment section
