Olive View Center Cited for 20 Safety Violations

Olive View Medical Center in Sylmar has been cited for 20 violations of state job-safety rules, including improperly disposing of blood that may have been tainted by AIDS or hepatitis, officials said Tuesday.

The hospital, which is run by Los Angeles County, was cited by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health after what inspectors described as an extensive investigation of its operating room, laboratories, morgue and other areas. State inspectors and a union official said, however, that they were not aware of any hospital worker or patient who was sickened as a result of exposure to contaminated blood or other infectious wastes.

All but one of the citations are general citations, which carry no fines or other penalties because the hospital is publicly owned. The citations require Olive View to correct its problems within a month. Maple Gray, Olive View’s assistant administrator, said most of the violations already have been corrected.