A Rochester, New York hospital is facing fines for what the state Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) is referring to as eight serious violations of the federal Clear Air Act involving asbestos. A company they hired to conduct demolition and renovations has been charged with six additional serious violations.

According to a story aired on Your News Now Rochester, Strong Memorial Hospital of the University of Rochester hired DGA Builders to perform work in an area of the hospital where asbestos materials were present. This is commonplace in older buildings as asbestos was used in the manufacture of a variety of products, including insulation, tiles, adhesive, and many others.

However, OSHA reports that the hospital did not determine the presence, location and amount of asbestos-containing material in the work area or put up any sort of warning signs prior to work being done in that part of the hospital. As a result, asbestos exposure may have occurred.

Due to negligence on the part of the hospital, OSHA presented Strong Memorial officials with a citation listing eight violations that were deemed “serious”, which means that “the workplace hazard could cause an accident or illness that would most likely result in death or serious physical harm, unless the employer did not know or could not have known of the violation.” They were fined $40,000. DGA Builders was cited for six “serious” violations and was fined a total of $13, 200.

Asked about the citations, University of Rochester President Joel Seligman, said: “The fines are relatively modest. They didn’t find additional things. We’ll do our best to try to avoid this in the future.”

New York State rules governing the handling of asbestos in regards to renovation and demolition projects are quite specific and quite stringent so that situations like this do not occur. Any time asbestos becomes airborne it presents a health risk to those in the vicinity. Inhaled asbestos fibers can cause serious respiratory illnesses, including mesothelioma cancer.