Lane Plating Works, Inc. was cited for 21 violations and proposed fines of $110,200 after an Occupational safety and Health (OSHA) inspection found the company exposed workers to hexavalent chromium, a known carcinogen that can cause serious long-term health issues including lung cancer and kidney failure. The owner of the Dallas-based chrome plating shop was made aware of the presence of the dangerous toxin through air-monitoring tests, but he failed to correct the hazard.
“Workers had dangerous chemical residue on their clothing and labored in areas where unsafe levels of hexavalent chromium dust were found on work surfaces,” said Stephen Boyd, OSHA’s area director in Dallas. “By failing to address these hazards, Lane Plating Works’ endangered the health and well-being of its employees and their families who were exposed when their loved ones came home with contaminated clothing.”
The company was cited for two willful and 19 serious violations including failing to use controls to reduce employee exposure to hexavalent chromium and to monitor the chemical periodically, and failing to institute controls to reduce and maintain levels of hexavalent chromium below the permissible exposure limits and train workers on the chemical’s hazards. OSHA initiated the complaint inspection under its National Emphasis Program for Hexavalent Chromium. For more information, read the news release.
For more information or assistance with your Environmental and Health & Safety regulatory compliance needs, contact Ralph Carito at Total Environmental & safety, LLC (Total) at rcarito@TotalEnviron.com or 908-442-8599.