OSHA cites, fines 4 nursing homes
Since the start of the pandemic, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued citations to nearly 300 nursing homes across the country, including four locally, for violations related to coronavirus resulting in fines of nearly $4 million.
The four local nursing homes fined for coronavirus-related violations are the Life Care Centers of Littleton, Leominster and Merrimack Valley and CareOne of Lowell, according to OSHA.
The Life Care Center of Littleton — its corporate name is Life Care Center of Nashoba Valley LLC — was inspected by OSHA in October, which led to fines of $21,115, according to OSHA.
While there were six violations, four defined as serious, the Littleton facility was fined $13,494 for failing to develop a comprehensive written respiratory protection program for its employees, $2,121 for record keeping, and $5,500 for failing to notify OSHA with 24 hours of an employee death, according to details of the violations.
In April, it was reported by several news outlets, including The Sun and Sentinel & Enterprise, that one of the Littleton facility’s staff members had died from the virus.
In November, the Life Care Center of the Merrimack Valley, which operates under the corporate name of Merrimack Valley Operation LLC, was inspected by OSHA and fined $13,494 for failing to develop a comprehensive written respiratory protection program for its employees, which is considered a serious violation.
The facility, located at 80 Boston Road in Billerica, was also cited for two other serious violations, but not fined. Those violations were both related to respiratory protections for its staff,
according to the details of the OSHA inspection.
In early December, CareOne of Lowell, operating with the corporate name of 19 Varnum Street Operating Company LLC, was inspected and six violations were reported, with four of those considered serious, and fined $25,061.
It was fined $13,494 for failing to develop a comprehensive written respiratory protection program for its employees, $2,121 for record keeping, and $5,500 for failing to notify OSHA with 24 hours of an employee death, according to the details of the inspection.
The facility, which operates at 19 Varnum St. in Lowell, was also cited but not fined for failing to provide medical evaluations to determine employees’ ability to use a respirator in the workplace and record keeping, according to details of the inspection.
Of the total fine, $3,946 was not documented by OSHA for a specific violation.
When the state OSHA office was contacted about the discrepancy, it referred all questions to its Washington, D.C., office. Attempts to determine the undefined fine for CareOne were unsuccessful.
When contacted about the violations and fines, CareOne of Lowell issued a statement by
email.
“These alleged violations issued by OHSA are being contested. They also ignore the realities of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. At the height of the pandemic, faced with this unprecedented challenge, CareOne took emergency measures to protect its residents, staff, and surrounding communities by developing protocols, procuring PPE when many others could not, and consistently communicating with family members and health officials. At all times, we made reasonable efforts to comply with all OSHA requirements.”
Also in early December, Life Care Center of Leominster, which operates under the corporate entity Fairlawn Medical Investors LLC, was inspected by
OSHA and cited for three serious violations and fined $13,494 for failing to develop a comprehensive written respiratory protection program for its employees, according to details of the inspection.
It was also cited but not fined for failing to provide medical evaluations to determine employees’ ability to use a respirator in the workplace and record keeping, according to details of the inspection.
Each of the Life Care Centers and CareOne are contesting the violations and fines.
A spokesman for Life Care Center in Leominster, speaking for the three facilities, declined to comment on the violations and fines because they are being contested.