By Healthcare Facilities Today

Failure of West Virginia regulators to investigate complaints about workplace safety filed by employees at William R. Sharpe Hospital is questioned

The West Virginia Public Employees Union, Local 170 of the United Electrical Workers, is questioning the failure of state regulators to investigate 180 complaints about workplace safety filed by employees at William R. Sharpe Hospital in Weston, according to an article on the Saturday Gazette-Mail website

"We are very concerned about the situation at Sharpe Hospital, regarding the number of injuries suffered at that facility in recent years," union rep John Thompson said in the article."We are especially concerned that the Division of Labor and West Virginia OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration (have taken the position that the state's largest facilities are exempt from inspections."

According to the article, 180 employees reported suffering injuries at the facility during the past year. Some of those injuries were attributed to workplace accidents. Others to physical attacks by patients at the psychiatric hospital. 

Catherine Zacchi, communications specialist for the West Virginia Department of Commerce, said the West Virginia Code 21-3a excludes the Department of Corrections, the Department of Health and the Legislature from the Division of Labor's jurisdiction.

"As it is operated by the Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR), the William R. Sharpe Hospital is excluded from Division of Labor jurisdiction," Zacchi said in the article.

In addition to Sharpe Hospital, the West Virginia Bureau for Behavioral Health & Health Facilities oversees six other hospitals: Welch Community Hospital, Mildred Mitchell-Bateman Hospital in Huntington, Hopemont Hospital in Terra Alta, Jackie Withrow Hospital in Beckley, John Manchin Sr. Health Care Center in Fairmont and Lakin Hospital in West Columbia, north of Point Pleasant.

Read the article.