The U.S. Department of Labor has slapped New York University with $79,500 in fines for 12 violations of worker safety in its dental lab in Manhattan. A three-month investigation by federal OSHA found the university overexposed workers to formaldehyde, failed to provide respirators or protective clothing, and failed to react when told of health problems.
The probe was sparked by the NYU staff union's complaint that a union member was permanently disabled after being exposed to dangerous levels of formaldehyde in 2003.