Needlestick leads to fine

OSHA has cited Allcare Dental for alleged willful and serious violations of occupational health standards at its Nashua, N.H., dental office after an employee suffered a needlestick injury. The office faces $76,500 in proposed fines. OSHA’s inspection found that the office did not provide the injured employee with no-cost, post-exposure medical evaluation and follow-up, and did not have the blood of the source individual tested, as required under OSHA’s bloodborne pathogens standard.

In addition, the office’s training program did not include the proper method of removing the capped needle from a syringe, did not explain procedures to be followed in the event of an exposure, and did not provide an opportunity for employees to ask questions about the training. The office’s exposure control program also was incomplete and not updated annually, OSHA said. Finally, the office did not use needles with engineered safety devices for user protection.

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