Rite Aid agreement calls for bloodborne pathogen safety program
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Following an incident in which a clerk was told to clean up spilled blood from an injured customer, Rite Aid Corp. must now implement a safety program to better protect employees against hazards related to bloodborne pathogens at its 370 stores in New Jersey and New York.
The move is in accordance with an agreement with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration following an investigation into the 2022 incident at a Rite Aid store in Niagara Falls, New York, the agency said in a statement Monday.
The employee had not been offered a hepatitis B vaccine and the store lacked an appropriate blood exposure control plan in violation of federal regulations.
OSHA cited the retail drugstore chain for corresponding violations of the agency's bloodborne pathogens standard. Rite Aid initially contested the citations, which totaled $31,080 in fines.
Under the terms of the settlement, the company will pay an amended $10,000 fine, withdraw its notice of contest and take remedial actions, OSHA said.
