Renovation Company Faces OSHA Fines for Exposing Workers to Asbestos and Carbon Monoxide

In October, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced that a company renovating a nursing home in Wisconsin is facing over $240,000 in proposed fines for four willful and nine serious health violations.
 
OSHA inspectors became aware of the violations when five employees had to be treated at a local hospital for carbon monoxide exposure. According to OSHA, the company failed to monitor carbon monoxide exposure for workers inside an asbestos containment area and violated required procedures for the safe handling of asbestos.
 
Renovation workers can be exposed to asbestos fibers when they cut, sand, remove and/or disturb asbestos containing materials. These actions can release asbestos fibers that can be inhaled if the workers do not have the proper protection. Asbestos exposure can cause lung disease, asbestosis and mesothelioma, a type of cancer that is often fatal. In addition, if not handled with the proper safety precautions, asbestos fibers can remain on clothing and transfer to other surfaces such as upholstery and carpets, creating a danger of secondary exposure for others.
 
“All employers are responsible for providing a safe environment for their workers,” said Joe Frasca, Senior Vice President, Marketing at EMSL Analytical, Inc. “A key component of this is healthy air quality wherever they work. Air quality issues can arise in almost any work environment, but this is especially true when demolition, renovation and remodeling activities take place.”
 
Helping to protect employees and keep companies in regulatory compliance are the indoor environmental quality experts at EMSL Analytical, Inc. With laboratories across the United States and Canada, EMSL offers a wide range of indoor air quality and material testing services for asbestos, lead, PCBs and other potentially hazardous materials. They also offer air monitoring equipment for use in the field and personal protective equipment.
 
To learn more about EMSL’s indoor air quality, industrial hygiene, occupational and environmental services and testing equipment, please visit www.EMSL.com, call (800) 220-3675 or email info@EMSL.com .
 
About EMSL Analytical, Inc.

EMSL Analytical is one of the leading testing laboratories with over 40 locations throughout the United States and Canada. EMSL is a nationally recognized and locally focused provider specializing in fast laboratory results for mold, bacteria, Legionella, USP 797, pathogens, asbestos, lead, soot, char & ash from fires, VOC’s, odors, radon, formaldehyde, indoor air quality, microbiology, environmental, industrial hygiene, radiological, food, beverage & consumer products and material testing services for the identification of unknown substances. EMSL services both professionals and the general public. EMSL maintains an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies including, but not limited to A2LA, AIHA LAP, LLC. (AIHA EMLAP, AIHA IHLAP, AIHA ELLAP), NVLAP, CDC ELITE, CPSC, CA ELAP, NY ELAP, TX DOH, NJDEP and multiple other state accrediting agencies. Please visit our website at www.EMSL.com for a complete listing of accreditations. In addition, EMSL carries a wide range of Sampling Equipment and Investigative Products for environmental professionals.
 

Contact Information

Joseph Frasca

Senior Vice President of Marketing

EMSL Analytical, Inc.

(1) 856-303-2503

Contact via E-mail