Manufacturer exposes welders to toxic metal hazards
Workers welding stainless steel and other alloy steels containing chromium metal at a Wisconsin bulk storage tank manufacturer were exposed to hazardous levels of hexavalent chromium, which can cause lung cancer and respiratory, eye and skin damage.
After a complaint, OSHA inspectors visited Imperial Industries in Rothschild and identified two willful and 12 serious safety violations. Proposed penalties total $161,100.