Six employers were cited by Cal/OSHA for failing to protect workers from exposure to COVID-19 because they didn’t update their workplace safety plans to properly address the coronavirus hazard.
The state agency issued coronavirus-related citations to five healthcare facilities and one police department in California’s Bay Area, with fines ranging from $2,060 to $32,000.
Some of the employers received citations for other health and safety violations as well, according to a news release from the California Department of Industrial Relations.
The employers cited are:
- Santa Rosa Police Department for $32,000
- Gateway Care & Rehabilitation Center for $23,430
- The Ridge Post-Acute Health Care for $15,400
- Sutter Bay Hospitals, doing business as CPMC Davies Campus for $15,000
- Canyon Springs Post-Acute for $13,500
- Santa Clara Valley Medical Center at N. Jackson Ave., San Jose for $7,650, and
- Santa Clara Valley Medical Center at S. Bascom Ave., San Jose for $2,060.
COVID-19 fatality at police department
An employee of the Santa Rosa Police Department died from COVID-19 after being exposed by another employee who showed symptoms of the virus. The death wasn’t reported to Cal/OSHA until two weeks after the fatality.
The police department also failed to implement required screening and referral procedures for employees with COVID-19 symptoms during the month of March.
It also failed to report multiple serious cases of COVID-19 infection among its employees and for failing to provide adequate respirator fit-testing.
PPE and training issues at healthcare facilities
Gateway Care & Rehabilitation Center exposed its nurses and housekeeping staff to COVID-19 by failing to provide proper PPE and for inadequate respirator fit-testing.
At both the Ridge and Canyon Springs post-acute facilities, healthcare workers weren’t trained regarding the coronavirus while being exposed to patients confirmed to have COVID-19.
Healthcare workers in the administrative medical offices and security guards in the emergency department at Sutter Bay Hospitals’ CPMC Davies Campus didn’t wear respiratory protection. One incident involved a suspected COVID-19 patient undergoing a medical procedure while medical staff weren’t wearing N95 masks or other protection.
The two Santa Clara facilities failed to provide effective training on the coronavirus for their employees. The S. Bascom Ave. facility was also cited for inadequate respirator fit-testing.
Eleven other businesses were cited by Cal/OSHA for coronavirus-related violations earlier in September, and the agency also fined a frozen food manufacturer and its temporary agency more than $200,000 for COVID violations.
