In June 2014, OSHA cited Hagerty Brothers Co. of Peoria, IL for exposing workers to dangerous levels of lead and copper dust during brass finishing and grinding work. The company was found in violation of 4 willful and 26 serious safety regulations for not implementing engineering controls, failing to maintain areas free of lead dust and accumulation, and not monitoring worker exposure. Hagerty Brothers Co. was fined $171,600 for willfully putting their employees at risk.
That same month, CS Metals Inc. in St. Marys, OH was named a severe violator of safety regulations by OSHA. Three employees were exposed to dangerous levels of lead, arsenic, iron oxide, and copper particles and fumes while torch-cutting steel at a scrapyard. CS Metals did not provide required personal protective equipment or health monitoring, and also failed to implement engineering controls that would’ve limited exposure. Consequently, OSHA has proposed penalties of $378,070 for five willful, nine serious, and two repeated safety violations.
Without proper safety procedures in place to limit exposure, the employees of Hagerty Brothers and CS Metals were susceptible to long-term health effects. Most people agree that these these violations are egregious, but what can be done to stop these reports from continuing to appear in the news?
Corporations must ensure that they’re in compliance with all safety regulations that have been implemented by governing organizations such as OSHA. Next, it’s imperative that companies educate their employees about the dangers associated with handling hazardous chemicals.
Converting Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) to Safety Data Sheets (SDSs), which is a transition that was inspired by the United Nation’s Globally Harmonized System (GHS), is an instrumental component of that educational process. Accurately configured SDSs clearly inform all workers on how to react to emergency situations, which could mean the difference between hazardous and healthy.
