Kaiser Permanente: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Mar 31, 2020 (fatal): Employee with covid-19 infection dies

An employee was working as a patient care coordinator at a general medical and surgical hospital operated by a health maintenance organization (HMO). He traveled to New York and was exposed to COVID-19. At 8:00 a.m. on March 31, 2020, he died. This was an OSHA-covered fatality. It was thought more likely than not that his disease was community-acquired, due to the time frame and incubation period.

Incident on Sep 9, 2018: Employee is struck by wet ceiling tile and is injured

At 8:15 p.m. on September 9, 2018, an employee was in the break room at a hospital and was being briefed her coworker when a wet ceiling fell on top of her. The employee was taken to the Emergency Room and was admitted for treatment. No specific injury was identified by the initial report.

Incident on Jan 17, 2018: Employee incurs electrical shock while fixing light fixture;

At 2:45 p.m. on January 17, 2018, Employee #1 was assigned by Employee #2 to check the light out in the laboratory reception area. Employee #1 accessed the panel in the laboratory reception area where the light fixture was with a six foot ladder. Employee #1 first observed that a wire was coming from an electrical conduit inside a junction box. Employee #1 opened the wire electrical junction box with a screw driver after checking it with a wiggle tester for energized electrical current. Employee #1 then grabbed the nearest wire nut to make sure it was tight and then decided to closed the wire electrical box and to recommend to his supervisor to give the work to a contractor. Employee #1 proceeded to grab the cover with his left hand and went blank. Employee #1, while grabbing the electrical wire box cover with his left hand, made contact with an energized electrical wire and received an electrical shock. Employee #1 was hanging from the ceiling on the ladder. Employee #3 called Employee #4 for help pulling Employee #1 from the ceiling on the ladder and they booth fell to the ground. Employee #1 then called the hospital and 911. The fireman came and took Employee #1 by ambulance to USC Medical Burn Center, where Employee #1 was diagnose with third degree burns to his left hand thumb. Employee #4 was taken to Kaiser urgent care and diagnosed with ulner nerve damage and released the same day.

Incident on Jan 12, 2014: Employee's fingertip is amputated on dock leveler

On January 12, 2014, Employee #1 was installing the forward pin of the small ram on a loading dock leveler. The limit switch of the main ram was reenergized, wh ich caused the ram to retract quickly. His left middle fingertip was caught and pinch between the connection clevis and the ram body, resulting in a fingertip a mputation. Employee #1 was transported to a hospital, where he received treatmen t and afterwards was then released.

Incident on Feb 1, 2013: Employee fractures knee in fall on floor

On February 1, 2013, an employee was injured when she slipped and fell on the fl oor while coming out from the ladies restroom. The employee sustained fracture t o the left knee. The employee was treated and hospitalized for more than 24 hour s.

Incident on Oct 14, 2011: Worker amputates fingertip while servicing air conditioner

On October 14, 2011, Employee #1 was working at a hospital in Irvine, CA. Employ ee #1 was servicing a rooftop air conditioning unit. He was checking the tension of a fan belt driving a freely rotating exhaust fan. His fingertip was caught i n the nip point between the pulley and belt, and he sustained an amputation. Emp loyee #1 and a representative of his employer were interviewed. Employee #1 was not a contract employee. The employee's immediate supervisor was not at the acci dent location. The accident was reported to the Division on October 14, 2011.

Incident on May 3, 2011: Employee is injured in fall from step stool

On May 3, 2011, Employee #1, a medical secretary who was a full-time payroll emp loyee with no other contracts, was working for her employer, a medical and healt hcare agency in Suite 101. Employee #1 went up two steps of a step stool to put toner in the cabinet. When coming down, her foot was somehow caught, and she fel l face down, onto a carpeted floor. Employee #1 sustained injuries to her right hand and knees, apparently bruises and abrasions. She was transported to Lakevie w Medical Clinic and then transferred and admitted to Anaheim Medical Center. Th e next day, she was transferred to a skilled nursing facility in Riverside and h ospitalized for two weeks for pain management. The employer reported the inciden t to the Division on May 4, 2011. The investigation concluded that no standard, rule, order, or regulation set forth in Title 8 of the California Code of Regula tions was violated.

Incident on Jun 25, 2010: Employee contacts energized part and burns hand

At approximately 2:00 p.m. on June 25, 2010, Employee #1 and a coworker were tro ubleshooting a malfunctioning refrigeration unit (Chiller Pad Number 1). Employe e #1 opened the double door electrical panel of the unit to assess the issue. He turned around to speak with the coworker, and then turned back to face the open panel, when he either lost his balance, or his right ankle gave out. To stabili ze himself, he extended his right bare hand and contacted a 480 V energized part of the equipment and received second and third degree burns on his hand. The co worker turned off the power to the unit. Emergency medical services were summone d and transported him to a medical center where he was treated and released the same day.

Incident on Apr 16, 2010: Worker amputates finger after getting caught in auger bit

At approximately 11:30 a.m. on April 16, 2010, Employee #1, a lead carpenter for eman for Kaiser Permanente, was installing conduit for electrical wiring for a c ard reader system. A coworker was using a Hilti rotary hammer drill fitted with a 36-inch concrete auger bit to drill a horizontal plane underneath the sidewalk for the conduit to be placed. Employee #1 reached down with his gloved hand to help align the bit. The coworker started the drill while Employee #1 still had h is hand cupped around the bit. Employee #1 was treated for a broken index finger and amputation of part of his ring finger on his left hand.

Incident on Jun 8, 2009: Employee fractures leg after cart tips over onto leg

At approximately 2 p.m. on June 8, 2009, Employee #1, with Kaiser Permanente, wa s moving oxygen cylinders to a storage shed. He was using a wheeled manual cart to move six (6) empty cylinders from the service manifold. Employee #1 fell back wards while traveling down a ramp, and the rack of cylinders tipped over onto hi s lower right leg. Employee #1 suffered a fractured lower leg and was hospitaliz ed.

Incident on Jun 4, 2008: Employee suffers injury in skill saw accident

At 8:00 a.m. on June 4, 2008, Employee #1 of, Kaiser Permanente, was injured whe n the blade of a skill saw hit his left index finger while cutting a wooden coun ter top. He was admitted to Kaiser Hospital in Bellflower and kept in there for 2 days for medical treatment. Employee #1 suffered a partial amputation to his l eft index finger. The portable saw model, HILTI WSC 167, was found to be alright with its sliding guard in position.

Incident on Nov 26, 2007: Employee is splashed by corrosive, injures eye and skin

Employee #1 sustained eye injuries and minor skin injuries after being splashed by the corrosive cleaning chemical concentrate TBQ. Employee #1 fully regained h is sight and was hospitalized for less than 24 hours.

Incident on Nov 9, 2006: Hospital clerk is injured in fainting episode

On November 9, 2006, Employee #1, a hospital clerk, had worked about 1.5 hours before he felt nauseous and went to a restroom. While there, he apparently faint ed and struck his head on the tile floor. There were no witnesses to the fall. W hen Employee #1 regained consciousness, he used his cell phone to call for assis tance. During an interview, he stated that the accident was not work-related, bu t due to an uncontrolled medical condition. He was treated at the hospital emerg ency room, and then transferred to another hospital for additional tests and obs ervation. He sustained a bruise to the back of his head. No workplace exposures were observed that could have led to Employee #1's fainting episode. The employe r's safety program and training were evaluated.

Incident on Aug 3, 2005: Employee is burned when valve on steam piping ruptures

On August 3, 2005, an employee, who was a steam engineer, went near the sight gl ass to replace the seals near the two valves at the two ends of the sight glass in the boiler room. In the boiler room, there were three steam generators. The a ccident happened in Steam Generator Number 2. The exact location of the accident was in front of the 0.5-in. diameter, 2.5 ft long sight, glass which indicates the level of water and steam. The sight glass steam pressure and temperature wer e 60 psi and 350 degree F, respectively. In order to inspect the sight glass, on e has to go up the ladder and stand on a platform at a height of about 6 ft from the ground level. The sight glass and some other valves of the system of Genera tor Number 2 could only be accessed while standing on the platform. While repair ing the steam end of the valve, the employee was facing the sight glass. As the employee once turned back, his backside faced the sight glass and the valves on the platform. Suddenly, the sight glass steam end valve, on the steam piping, ru ptured, resulting in hot steam jet from the spot of the pipe and valve leakage. The employee was standing at the moment, approximately 1 ft in front of the leak ed valve, and there was not much free space in front of him, due to the existing layout. However, to avoid the jet of steam, the employee quickly bent down and then crawled out of hand railing in front of him in order to land on the ground level. The employee suffered second degree burns on his back. The employee was h ospitalized and treated for burns.

Incident on Sep 14, 2004: Employee falls in parking lot and breaks her elbow

On September 13, 2004, an employee was taking her shift break and went to her pe rsonal vehicle in the handicapped section of the parking lot. She put her purse into the car on the passenger side and was walking around to get into the driver s' seat. She slipped and fell to the ground, and was hospitalized with a broken right elbow. The weather was dry and sunny and the ground was dry, clean and lev el. There were no witnesses to the accident.

Incident on Jun 30, 2003: Employee slips on stairs and exacerbates old injury

Employee #1, a housekeeper at Kaiser Martinez, slipped on stairs and experienced a re-herniation. Employee #1 was hospitalized for the surgical hernia repair.

Incident on Aug 5, 2002: Employee injures hand when caught in rough-top conveyor belt

On August 5, 2002, Employee #1, the assistant chief engineer for a warehouse, wa s on the 25-ft-high maintenance runway of an elevated section of the Matthews po wered conveyor system. He was standing on a portable ladder, adjusting and track ing the break belt while the conveyor was running between 90 ft and 120 ft per m inute. Employee #1 was using his left hand to manipulate a roller when his hand slipped and became caught in the pinch point between the belt and roller. The mo ving, rough-top conveyor belt ground off the skin and flesh from the knuckles of his hand, and ground away the skin, flesh, and nails from his index, middle, an d fourth fingers. Employee #1 was transported to a medical center for treatment. The investigation revealed he was not using an extension tool or other means to move the rollers while adjusting the conveyor belt as required.

Incident on Jun 22, 1999: Burn - electrical fault in test equipment

Two employees were troubleshooting a problem with a hospital air conditioning ch iller system. The employees opened a 4160-volt electrical cabinet to check fuses and other components. One of the employees touched a terminal with a lead from a low-voltage, hand-held voltage tester. The tester failed, and the ensuing elec tric arc burned the employee's hands, arms, and face. He was hospitalized with s econd- and third-degree burns.

Incident on Aug 3, 1995: Employee's back injured in 10 ft fall from tank

At 7:46 a.m. on August 3, 1995, Employee #1 was standing and painting atop a rou nd stationary water tank. He slipped on the wet paint and fell 10 ft to the grou nd, suffering a back injury, Employee #1 had not returned to work as of November 6, 1995.

Incident on Feb 5, 1995 (fatal): Employee died of probable asphyxiation by suffocation

At approximately 10:30 p.m. on February 5, 1995, Employee #1, who worked in the materials management section, was found collapsed on the floor of the bathroom a djacent to his work area. The coworker who found him attempted to resuscitate Em ployee #1, as did the emergency personnel who subsequently responded to the scen e. Their efforts were unsuccessful and Employee #1 died. The Sacramento County C oroner's report listed the cause of death as possible asphyxiation by suffocatio n. At the time this report was written, no evidence suggested that Employee #1's death had been caused by an occupational source. An ongoing investigation was b eing conducted by the Homicide Unit of the Sacramento County Sheriff's Departmen t.

Incident on Aug 8, 1991: Two employees injured when sprayed by hot water and chemical

ON THE MORNING OF AUGUST 1, 1991, TWO INJURY ACCIDENTS OCCURRED INSIDE A HOSPITA L CENTRAL UTILITY PLANT. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS INJURED AT 9:50 A.M. WHEN THE CAP ON A PARTIALLY PRESSURIZED 5-GALLON POT FEEDER TANK FLEW OFF AND THE EMPLOYEE WAS SPR AYED WITH HOT WATER AND ANTI-CORROSIVE CHEMICALS FROM THE TANK, WHICH IS PART OF THE DOMESTIC HOT WATER SYSTEM. HE HAD JUST SERVICED THE TANK (ADDED CHEMICALS) AND TAPPED THE TWIST-ON CAP TO STOP A SMALL LEAK. THE CAP REACHED A SECOND RELEA SE POINT AND FLEW OFF UNDER PRESSURE. THE SYSTEM HAD NO TURN LIMITING DEVICE FOR THE CAP, SUCH AS A STOP PIN. AT 11:20 AM., EMPLOYEE #2 SUFFERED SIMILAR INJURIE S WHEN THE SAME CAP FLEW OFF AS HE TAPPED IT TO TRY TO STOP THE LEAK AFTER MAKIN G SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THE CAP SEAL (GASKET).

Incident on Jul 18, 1991: Employee exposed to e and o from open tank door

AT 7:00 A.M. ON JULY 18, 1991, EMPLOYEE #1 WAS ASSIGNED TO CHANGE THE ETHYLENE O XIDE CYLINDER IN THE CENTRAL PROCESSING AREA. EMPLOYEE #1 PROCEEDED TO THE AREA WEARING NO PPE. KITCHEN EMPLOYEES CAME OVER TO EXPLAIN THAT THEY HAD A POSSIBLE STEAM LEAK, AND EMPLOYEE #1 RUSHED TO STOP THE LEAK. IN DOING SO, EMPLOYEE #1 LE FT THE ETHYLENE OXIDE TANK DOOR OPEN WHILE THE TANK WAS BEING BLED. ADDITIONALLY , HE LEFT BOTH THE NEW AND OLD TANKS FREESTANDING. SINCE THE TANK DOOR WAS NOT C LOSED, ETHYLENE OXIDE ESCAPED INTO THE WORK ENVIRONMENT CAUSING THE 20 PPM ALARM TO SOUND. THE CENTRAL PROCESSING AREA WAS EVACUATED. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS THE ONLY E MPLOYEE EXPOSED.

Incident on Jan 22, 1991: Employee suffers asthma attack from allergic reaction

Employee #1, a registered nurse, was hospitalized due to an asthma attack. The a ttack may have resulted from inhaling vapors emitted by adhesives from either ne wly installed wallpaper or carpeting. Interviews with Employee #1 and coworkers indicated that she is allergic to various substances (e.g., dust, mites) and tha t she was frequently on sick leave. There were no other injuries or illnesses am ong the facility's 150 employees that were found to have been caused by the remo deling.