Ohio scrapyard 'failed its workers,' fined $378,000
OSHA names CS Metals Inc. severe violator
Three employees were exposed to dangerous levels of lead, arsenic, iron oxide and copper particles and fumes while torch-cutting steel at a scrapyard operated by OmniSource St. Marys. Their employer, CS Metals Inc., did not provide required personal protective equipment or health monitoring, a June 2014 investigation by OSHA found. The agency has proposed penalties of $378,070 for five willful, nine serious and two repeated safety violations and placed the company in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program.
"CS Metals failed its workers by not providing personal protective equipment and monitoring exposure levels to metal dust, which can cause severe, long-term health effects to the central nervous system and vital organs," said Kim Nelson, OSHA's area director in Toledo. "OSHA's investigation found deficiencies with CS Metals' compliance programs for lead exposure, arsenic and other hazardous air contaminants. These violations must stop."