St. Louis-based SSM Health Care was cited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for not using hospital-strength cleaner to clean blood testing machines, according to a KSDK report.
An SSM Health nurse filed a compliant with OSHA in April after discovering the system was using household Clorox, not the hospital-strength formula, to wipe down machines used to take blood pressure, test for blood sugar and blood lipid levels, according to the report. OSHA cited the system in July.
In a statement to KSDK, an SSM spokesman said there was "virtually zero" chance that a nurse was exposed to a bloodborne disease from the practice, and also said SSM now follows guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for cleaning and disinfecting equipment. "The safety of our patients, staff and visitors is a top priority for SSM Health Care and we take matters like this seriously," he told KDSK.
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