Woonsocket Health Care Center Fined For Coronavirus Violations

WOONSOCKET, RI—The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a citation against Athena Health Care Systems, the parent company of Oakland Grove Health Care Center in Woonsocket, alleging two "coronavirus violations" involving failure to report employee illness and death.

According to a press release from OSHA on Friday, the citations against Oakland Grove Health Care Center were issued on November 3 and came with a fine of $11,567.

Coronavirus violations include failures to implement a writing respiratory protection program, provide a medical evaluation, respirator fit test, or training on the proper use of a respirator and personal protective equipment, report an injury, illness, or fatality, record an injury or illness on OSHA record keeping forms, and comply with the General Duty Clause of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.

"Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic through Nov. 5, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued 204 citations arising from inspections for violations relating to coronavirus, resulting in proposed penalties totaling $2,856,533," says the OSHA website.

Although the specific reasons for the citations remain unclear, a federal database lists the Athena Health Care Systems offenses as violations of 1904.29(b)(3), which states that each recordable injury or illness must be reported within seven days, and 1904.39(a)(1), which states that the death of an employee as a result of a work-related incident must be reported within eight hours.

"There is no greater priority for us than the health and safety of our patients and staff," Said Oakland Grove spokesman Tim Brown in a statement responding to the citations. "COVID-19 is an insidious virus that has taken a tremendous toll on the vast majority of long-term care facilities in Rhode Island and beyond. Our hearts go out to all affected by this insidious virus."

As of November 3, Oakland Grove has suspended visitation unless required under federal guidance or other limited clinical circumstances, offering only virtual visitation options.