State inspects hospital odor after employee complaint
Seventeen employees sought medical attention
Vermont’s workplace safety agency inspected the Vermont Medical Center’s Fanny Allen campus after receiving a complaint of an unidentified odor that caused 17 employees to seek medical attention, according to an article on the VT Digger website.
The complaint described the hazard as “Chemical exposure two weeks ago since resolved,” and says seven staff members have symptoms consistent with long-term exposure to carbon monoxide, “Vertigo, nausea, General malaise.”
Staff reported feeling nauseous on the day of the incident, after noting “the smell of exhaust, or something that smelled like fumes.”
UVMMC temporarily closed an operating room at Fanny Allen and sent affected employees to an on-site urgent care facility “out of an abundance of caution.”
November 7, 2019
Topic Area: Safety
Recent Posts
Hospitals as Energy Microgrids: Ensuring Power Grid Independence
Resilient hospitals could become energy microgrids that generate, store and managing electricity while remaining connected to the wider grid.
Baystate Health Integrates Baystate Mercy Hospital into System
Over the past seven months, Baystate Health has been preparing to integrate Baystate Mercy Hospital and its affiliated clinics.
HCA Healthcare Reports Cybersecurity Incident
The organization identified suspicious activity on Aug. 12, 2026, and took steps to secure the affected systems.
How Retail Design Can Improve the Healthcare Patient Experience
Healthcare facilities can adapt retail design principles to improve patient comfort, streamline check-in and reuse existing spaces.
Jefferson Health Breaks Ground on Lehigh Valley Hospital—Coopersburg
It is expected to open in late 2027.