Indiana agency fines medical-waste company over violations

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - A medical waste disposal company faces a $26,000 fine after Indiana regulators cited it for violating 14 serious safety conditions.

An Indiana Department of Labor report stated inspectors found the violations during repeated visits to MedAssure of Indiana, which collects, treats and disposes of medical waste from hospitals, clinics and other customers.

Those violations included flying debris hazards, potential shock hazards and unstable storage materials at the business, the Indianapolis Business Journal reported. Employees also lacked sufficient training on the use of respirators, according to investigators.

Inspectors found the violations while visiting MedAssure's facilities from Sept. 28 to Nov. 7. Labor Department spokeswoman Stephanie McFarland said the inspection was the result of a referral from a local government agency.

Joseph Delloiacovo, MedAssure's vice president for regulatory affairs, said Monday that the violations reported were "somewhat exaggerated or excessive." He said that after discussions with regulators, the fine has been reduced fine to $12,125.

McFarland said the company has paid the fine "and agreed to properly address the safety orders."

The company was fined $9,000 by state regulators in 2016 for improperly accepting fetal remains, which violated its state permit. MedAssure said at the time that those remains were tiny fetal tissue samples taken from aborted fetuses for pathology testing in Missouri.

___

Information from: Indianapolis Business Journal, http://www.ibj.com