A local hospice is facing penalties after forcing its employees to wear respirators without providing a medical evaluation first.
According to state records, inspectors discovered in April that Luna Del Valle Hospice in Albuquerque failed to conduct medical evaluations by a licensed practitioner that are required to ensure that employees could safely wear N95 respirators. This is considered a serious violation of federal OSHA regulations since the use of a respirator can exacerbate conditions like asthma and cardiovascular disease and lead to fainting or heart strain.
Federal law requires employers to make certain that respirators don’t pose any health risks to their employees as well as ensuring that they are properly fitted before requiring that they wear them. Even voluntary use of N95 masks in the workplace require an evaluation from a licensed practitioner because of the health risks involved.
OSHA law also requires these evaluations and fitting tests to make sure that employees are using the masks properly and aren’t operating with a false sense of safety.
A fine of $9,849 was leveled at the hospice for the respirator violation. It was also dinged for keeping a fire extinguisher in the wrong location and placing paper exit signs over doorways, although it wasn’t penalized for those violations.
