OSHA has cited The GEO Group Inc. with six safety and health violations within its Meridian, Mississippi correctional facility, which houses 1,318 inmates in low, medium, and high security environments. Items that were included in the list of citations included failure to maintain training and staffing of correctional officers, failure to fix malfunctioning door locks and door sensors, failure to perform medical evaluations and fit testing for those required to wear full face respirators,
failure to properly store full face respirators to prevent damage from chemical agents or dust; failure to maintain exposure control plans and incident evaluation plans for employees exposed to bloodborne pathogens; failure to ensure personal protective equipment such as exam gloves and gowns were used to reduce employee exposure to bloodborne pathogens; failure to conduct hazard assessments for required personal protective equipment; and failure to maintain a written energy control procedure for workers exposed to electrical shock hazards.
The citations and notifications for penalty are available on OSHA’s website:
American Work Safety encourages employers whose employees regularly incur risk of bloodborne pathogen exposure – particularly in the medical, correctional, and law enforcement industries – to learn from this example and conduct a review of their current policies and procedures to ensure that they are in line with OSHA standards. OSHA compliance doesn’t just prevent hefty fines; it also saves lives and prevents costly injuries on the job. Contact one of our friendly salespeople today for all of your personal protective equipment needs.