Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 006 Hazard: BLOODBORNE

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to the hazard of communicable diseases associated with exposure to Tetanus, Salmonella, Hepatitis A, waterborne coliform bacteria, and chicken mites resulting from unsanitary conditions in the following instances: a)Plant #1, Men's and Women's Bathrooms - On or about February 1, 1996, the Plant Manager, with his bare hands, removed toilet paper that had human waste on it from waste containers in both bathrooms and placed same in a brown paper bag. b)Plant #3, Women's Bathroom -(3/12/96) No hand soap was available for candlers and packers to wash up after handling eggs potentially contaminated with salmonella bacteria. c)Plant #3, Women's Bathroom -(3/12/96) Employees are instructed by signs in English and Spanish to dispose toilet paper in the waste basket, not the toilet. d)Plant #5, Lunch Area - (2/28/96) Employees were expected to use one communal plastic cup for drinking water which rested on top of the bottled water dispenser and was labelled, "Para uso de lo trabajadores de la Planta #5," which means, "For use by the workers in Plant #5." e)Plant #7, Women's Bathroom - (1/30/96) No hand soap was available for candlers and packers to wash up after handling eggs potentially contaminated with salmonella bacteria. f)Plant #7, Women's Bathroom - (1/30/96) No toilet paper was available for use and used toilet paper was on the floor, radiator and inside waste basket. g)Plant #8 - (1/31/96) Employees packing eggs ate and drank beverages at their work stations, potentially exposing themselves to Salmonella bacteria from handling eggs. h)Plant #8, Women's Bathroom - (1/31/96) No hand soap was provided to employees to wash up prior to consuming food or beverages after handling eggs in the candling operation and packing operation. i)Plant #8, Women's Bathroom - 2/28/96 Employees were instructed by sign to put used toilet paper in the waste basket. j)Plant #8 - (2/28/96) No cups were made available to employees for drinking water from bottled water provided in the plant. k)Rendering Plant, Bathroom - (3/14/96) In this facility where dead chickens are handled, fecal material was present all over the toilet, and no paper towels or toilet paper were available. l)Bird Crew -(2/14/96) Employees stuffing and removing birds from the barns relieve themselves outside, where there are no washing facilities.m)Plant #8, Men's Bathroom - (2/28/96) CSHO observed human excrement on the wall adjacent to the toilet in this facility. n)Barn #8 - (1/17/96) An employee (Pit scraper) responsible for attending to chicken confinement houses had not received any hazard information or training on communicable diseases carried by chickens, their feces and eggs with which they are in regular contact. o)80's Barns - (1/31/96 and 2/13/96) An employee (barnsman) responsible for attending to chicken confinement houses had not received any hazard information and training on communicable diseases carried by chickens, their feces and eggs with which they are in regular contact. p)Bird Crew - (2/14/96) An employee responsible for pulling and stuffing birds in chicken confinement houses had not received any hazard information or training on communicable diseases carried by chickens, their feces and eggs. Employees are in regular contact with these chickens, eggs and feces. q)10's Barns - (1/17/96) Employees had not received any hazard information or training on communicable diseases carried by chickens, their feces and eggs. Employees are in regular contact with these chickens, eggs and feces. r)20's Barns - (3/5/96) Employees had not received any hazard information or training on communicable diseases carried by chickens, their feces and eggs. Employees are in regular contact with these chickens, eggs and feces. s)50's Barns - (2/26/96) Employees had not received any hazard information or training on communicable diseases carried by chickens, their feces and eggs. Employees are in regular contact with these chickens, eggs and feces. t)50's Barns - (2/28/96) Employees had not received any hazard information or training on communicable diseases carried by chickens, their feces and eggs. Employees are in regular contact with these chickens, eggs and feces. u)Plant #8 - (1/31/960) Employees packing eggs and candling, who ate and drank beverages at their work stations, had not received any hazard information or training on communicable diseases carried by eggs. Employees are in regular contact with these eggs. v)Rendering Plant - (3/14/96) Employees at this facility had not received any hazard information or training on communicable diseases carried by chickens, their feces and eggs. Employees are in regular contact with these chickens, eggs and feces. w)Plant #2 - (3/5/96) Employees in the Packing Plant sustained bites from chicken mites, resulting in dermatitis. x)Plant #1 - (1/17/96) There was human blood on paper towels in the uncovered waste receptacle in the tool room. In the following locations, the manure pit scrapers sampled on 04/30/96 were contaminated with Salmonella:y)Barn #67 - Salmonella serotype enteriditis. z)Barn #11 - Salmonella serotype heidelberg. a2)Barn #23 - Salmonella serotype heidelberg. b2)Barn #30 - Salmonella serotype heidelberg. c2)Barn #31 - Salmonella serotype braenderup. d2)Barn #60 - Salmonella serotype heidelberg. e2)Barn #5 - Salmonella serotype heidelberg. f2)Barn #75 - Salmonella serotype heidelberg. In the following locations, dead chickens sampled on 04/16/96 were contaminated with Salmonella: g2)Barn #5 - Salmonella serotype heidelberg. h2)Barn #7 - Salmonella serotype heidelberg. i2)Barn #8 - Salmonella serotype heidelberg. j2)Barn #12 - Salmonella serotype heidelberg (4 samples). k2)Barn #51 - Salmonella serotype braenderup. l2)Barn #54 - Salmonella serotype braenderup (2 samples). m2)Plant 1 - The eyewash station used by employees for drinking water was contaminated with E.coli bacteria. n2)Plant 8, Men's Bathroom - The flushing lever on the toilet bowl was broken off and not operational. The bathroom facility was without toilet paper. o2)Egg Processing Plant No. 3 - There was no toilet paper and soap in the mens bathroom and the used toilet paper was being discarded in a cardboard box in the corner near the toilet. p2)Egg Processing Plant No. 1 - The used toilet paper was being discarded in a cardboard box near the toilet and not flushed down the toilet. q2)Egg Processing Plant No.7 - The used toilet paper was being discarded in a cardboard box near the toilet and not flushed down the toilet. r2)Rendering Plant - There was no hot or warm water for hand washing and the sink was very dirty. There was no door on the bathroom and no light in the bathroom. s2)Complex 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 - The employer did not provide a safe source of drinking water for employees. t2)Plant #2, Men's Restroom (2/14/96) - Toilet paper disposed of in trash can. u2)Breeder Barn #2, Poland, ME (1/26/96) - Restrooms not provided for Cleaning Crew employees (blowdown). v2)Barn #30 (2/22/96) - Employees pulling fowl with limited access to washing facilities were allowed to eat, drink, and smoke in poultry confinement house where poultry fecal contamination was present. w2)Plant #1, Eyewash Station (2/15/96) - Water from the eyewash station that employees drink from tested positive for coliform bacteria. Among other methods, some feasible and acceptable methods to reduce or eliminate employee exposure include but are not necessarily limited to:1) Provide sanitary and well equipped washing and toilet facilities proximal to all work areas. 2) Provide potable drinking water. 3) Provide and require the use of appropriate personal protective equipment. 4) Train employees in the recognition of biological hazards, in modes of disease transmission and in symptoms associated with diseases including, but not limited to, Tetanus, Salmonella, Hepatitis A, exposure to water borne coliform bateria, and chicken mites. 5) Train employees in necessary personal hygiene.