State agency investigating DOTS’ vomit cleanup policy

After DOTS workers complained vomit wasn't being cleaned out of Shuttle-UM buses properly, a state agency launched an investigation into DOTS procedures, prompting DOTS to outsource the cleaning to a specialized company.

The Department of Transportation Services first came under scrutiny by Maryland Occupational Safety and Health — a division of the state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation — when bus drivers complained to the local American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union chapter in early October that exposure to blood-borne pathogens in vomit was putting them at risk for contracting diseases such as HIV and hepatitis.

Although DOTS officials maintain that all employees follow the proper procedures in cleaning up vomit, bus drivers say that the actual process is less hygienic than officials claim.

According to DOTS officials, when a passenger throws up on a bus, the driver should ask riders to leave and then return the bus to the bus depot. Once the driver puts on a face mask and gloves, they are instructed to pour absorbent beads onto the vomit — solidifying it and making it easier to clean. After the vomit is swept up, the driver is supposed to disinfect the area and dispose of the remains.

But bus drivers said while the absorbent beads are used, most drivers use a hose to remove the vomit remains from buses. This practice, union officials said, doesn't actually clean the vomit. Instead, it spreads the remains throughout the bus and frequently results in improper disposal.

"It's often left in the [bus depot] yard until the next rain," said Craig Newman, secretary for the local chapter of AFSCME.

These alleged unsanitary and unchecked practices led to a hailstorm of criticism from union officials and state and federal agencies.

After the initial investigation, DOTS received informal recommendations by MOSH, reminding them to follow universal precautions as outlined by Occupational Safety and Health when dealing with blood-borne pathogens.

Two formal citations are expected to be issued in the coming weeks, according to union officials.

The investigation has prompted DOTS officials to hire specialized workers for weekends, when the buses are frequented by intoxicated students, to dispose of the vomit. This move would eliminate the drivers' contact with any hazardous pathogens.

The on-call workers will be primarily available on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, according to DOTS officials. Both DOTS and AFSCME have agreed that vomiting is a frequent occurrence on the Shuttle-UM buses.

"It's a persistent problem," Director of DOTS David Allen said, noting there were more than 30 occasions of vomiting on the buses on a recent weekend.

Union officials, however, are saying these measures are not enough and the investigation into DOTS  policies will be ongoing.

"This is a smokescreen to shadow what is really happening," Newman said. "We are not content with these measures."

Newman said union officials are waiting to see what the state citations are for before proceeding with the investigation.

For the last two weekends, DOTS has been outsourcing its cleaning to an outside company, Shuttle-UM Associate Director David Davitaia said, though he would not disclose the name of the agency. Davitaia added the company specializes in vomit cleanup, but buses that have not been vomited on will also be thoroughly cleaned on weekends. If a passenger vomits on the buses on weekdays, the cleaners will be called in.

While DOTS officials would not comment on how this outsourcing is affecting the department's budget, Davitaia said that DOTS is paying per bus cleaned.

These concessions come nearly two months after complaints were made by DOTS workers in October. At a November 5 meeting, a debate erupted between MOSH officials, DOTS representatives and the university Department of Environmental Safety over whether vomit actually contains blood-borne pathogens and warrants such an investigation, Newman said.

A clause in the state Occupational Safety and Health Exposure Control Plan states that it should be assumed blood-borne pathogens exist in any instance where it is difficult to determine whether blood is present. The university's Environmental Safety control plan, however, doesn't include this clause, which DOTS officials pointed to as evidence that vomit shouldn't be considered dangerous, Newman said.

"It was determined that regular vomit does not have blood pathogen exposure," Davitaia said. "The process we're using is the correct one."

"It's a glaring omission," Newman countered. "At night, in poor light, how do you inspect whether blood is in the vomit? It's at best questionable whether an accurate decision can be made."

DOTS' current attempts to appease union officials will not affect the citations.
Bernie Kohn, media relations director at the state labor, licensing and regulation department, said department officials can't comment on the nature of the citations until the investigation is complete.

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