Thursday, April 18, 2013

Alaska Airlines Contractor Fined for Exposing Workers "to blood borne pathogens and body fluids including vomit, urine, feces and blood"

Seattle's free newspaper The Stranger  reports today that the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries has fined an Alaska Airlines baggage handling contractor for not protecting employees from various body fluids. 
The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) has fined Alaska Airlines-contractor Bags, Inc. for failing to protect workers from exposure to blood borne pathogens and body fluids including vomit, urine, feces and blood. In issuing more than $12,000 in fines, L&I cited the Alaska contractor for four serious violations of state health and safety laws, and two general violations. Under state law, “serious violations” are issued when “there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result” if the problem is not fixed.
You can find the full text of the L&I enforcement action here.
 This is the first time I've ever been glad that Alaska Airlines is headquartered in Seattle instead of Anchorage.  I can't imagine any of our state departments in this administration caring about something like this, let alone doing anything about it.  

1 comment:

  1. I lived in WA for 23 years which is why I was so shocked at what went on in a bush hospital in Alaska. No state is perfect, but some care about people and quality more than others. Thanks for this post.

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