Contra Costa County: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Jul 28, 2021: Employee with covid-19 infection is hospitalized

An employee had been working as a Registered Nurse for a regional medical center. The employee was unvaccinated and worked caring for COVID-19 patients in a medical-surgical unit. The employer notified the employee that on July 15, 2021, she had worked with a coworker that had tested positive on July 13, 2021, for COVD-19. On July 9, 2021, and July 11, 2021, the employee was assigned to a patient in isolation. On July 12, 2021, the coworker was assigned to a patient in isolation. On July 17, 2021, the employee experienced symptoms at the end of her shift. At 1:26 a.m. on July 28, 2021, the employee was admitted into the hospital for treatment. The employee stated that she used a respirator that was different that the latest respirator she had been fit tested on. The employee also stated that she always wore a Controlled Air-Purifying Respirator (CAPR) over the respirator and all other required personal protective equipment when entering isolation rooms. In addition, the employee stated that she never used the break room to eat and only entered to warm food. The employer did not have Adequate Aerosol Transmissible Diseases policies and procedures in place.