The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set its sites on Cast-Fab Technologies Inc. of Cincinnati, having determined that Cast-Fab violated several different federal workplace safety standards. Cast-Fab was found to have breached regulations concerning asbestos exposure as well as inadequate safety equipment, training, and inspections.
Since 1972, OSHA has addressed the hazards posed by the use of asbestos in the workplace. Asbestos products create danger in the work setting when they are used in such a way that dust is generated, sending airborne asbestos fibers into the atmosphere. When inhaled, the fibers may become trapped in the lungs, leading to asbestos-related lung cancer or mesothelioma. Such diseases are “silent” killers in that their symptoms often do not manifest for decades after exposure. Because of such hazards, explained the director of OSHA’s Cincinnati office, Richard Gilchrist, “employers must remain dedicated to keeping the workplace safe and healthful or face close OSHA scrutiny.”
The inspection began in January and was undertaken by OSHA’s Cincinnati office during its focus on safety procedures in the primary metal industry. OSHA has proposed $128,700 in fines against Cast-Fab.
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