Michigan contractor fined $115k for asbestos violations
GRL Properties LLC, based in Grand Rapids was charged with willful and serious violations regarding the John Bean building in Lansing. The Michigan Occupational Safety & Health Administration (MIOSHA) launched an investigation which found that GRL did not conduct a proper inspection for asbestos and that workers were told that the insulation material they were charged with disposing of was harmless cardboard. As a result, no precautions were taken, and the workers were potentially exposed to toxic asbestos fibers while removing insulated piping from the 450,000 square feet, 80-year-old building. Inhaling asbestos fibers can lead to serious illnesses like asbestosis and mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer.
For the full story, go to Lansing State Journal.
