Cited for exposing workers to asbestos, Castle Metals in Franklin Park, Illinois – near Chicago – recently paid $63,500 in OSHA-imposed fines for what the agency deemed “serious health violations”.

According to an article in the Chicago Sun Times, the manufacturer – part of A.M. Castle, a publicly traded company with headquarters in Oak Brook – negotiated the fees down from the more than $127,000 that was originally proposed for the 22 violations that directly exposed approximately 121 employees to the hazardous material, which was once used abundantly in manufacturing plants like Castle Metals.

A complaint from an employee prompted an inspection of the company facilities by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). What the OSHA representative found was a blatant disregard for the rules governing the handling of asbestos, which can cause lung-related diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma cancer.

Violations included: failing to determine the presence, location and quantity of asbestos-containing or presumed asbestos-containing material; not putting warning labels on asbestos-containing piping; not providing a regulated area for asbestos removal operations; not monitoring employees and the work area for asbestos exposure during the removal process; and not using a high-efficiency vacuum to collect debris and dust during removal, according to the OSHA report.

The OSHA citation also noted that no employees were trained in proper asbestos handling and no protective clothing was provided for the employees in the Franklin Park plant. In addition, there was no decontamination area available for those who worked with the toxic material and may have had it on their hair and clothes. Such contamination opens the door to the possibility of secondary asbestos exposure among employees’ family members who may come in contact with the fibers when the employee returns home covered in hazardous dust.

Castle has agreed to correct any violations but did not admit any wrongdoing.

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.