Provant Health Services hit with OSHA violations after employee punctured by used needle

(Updated, 9:10 p.m.)
PROVIDENCE – An East Greenwich health and wellness program provider has been cited for nine serious violations by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration for inadequately protecting its employees against exposure from contaminated needlesticks and blood-born pathogens.

Provant Health Services LLC also faces a potential fine of $62,000, according to OSHA. It also was cited for an “other-than-serious” violation, which has a direct relationship to job safety and health.

OSHA began an inspection of Provant Health Solutions in November after an employee complained that a used needle punctured him as he unpacked a box in the company’s mail room.

According to OSHA, the company ships clean needles and other medical supplies to clinics. After use, contaminated needles are shipped in unmarked boxes back to company headquarters for disposal by a private biohazard removal service.

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“This company needlessly exposed its employees to preventable injuries and illnesses that can result from being punctured by contaminated needles and also lacked required safeguards,” Patrick Griffin, OSHA’s area director for Rhode Island, said in a statement. “Unless Provant Health Solutions updates, changes and improves its handling of needles and other bloodborne pathogen hazards, its employees will remain at risk.”

Provant conducts wellness clinics throughout the U.S. and has approximately 13,000 employees.

OSHA inspectors determined that the packages in use did not effectively protect employees from needlesticks as boxes were unpacked. They also noted that needles could fall out of boxes into a shipping container, which happened at least twice. Boxes lacked required warning labels, and the company did not use an authorized carrier to return the contaminated needles to Provant’s headquarters.

The company also lacked an effective program to minimize needlestick injuries. It also failed to train employees about hazards, as required, and did not record injuries properly, OSHA said.
According to OSHA, Provant has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, meet with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

In an emailed statement to Providence Business News,
Elaine Peterson, senior director of communications for Provant, said, “Provant has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration for an incident that occurred with one of our employees. Provant continues to be committed to the safety of our employees and takes this matter seriously. We are actively working with OSHA for resolution regarding these claims, including a meeting with OSHA’s area director through the informal conference option as well as potentially exercising the right to contest these findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.”

She also said, “The safety and well-being of our employees, customers and partners is of the utmost importance to Provant. We have a comprehensive program in place for all of our properties and locations, and work every day to ensure we are in active compliance of all federal, state and local requirements.”

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1 COMMENT

  1. Unmarked boxes returned to the company with used needles for disposal? Hello! Shouldn’t used needles be returned in boxes WITH WARNING LABELS? Maybe “Danger Will Robinson”. How about returning the used needles DIRECTLY to the disposal company & eliminate the middleman(with some type of disposal verification system in place)? Just a thought.