A New Hampshire company has been cited 62 times for violations of OSHA’s lead standard since 1998. Now it faces $185,900 in additional fines for, you guessed it, new violations of the lead standard.
OSHA has cited Franklin Non-Ferrous Foundry with four willful and serious violations involving a failure to protect workers from exposure to lead.
The citations are the result of an inspection in January to verify abatement of hazards cited by OSHA in 2009.
The most recent inspection found two employees exposed to excessive levels of lead during foundry operations and a lack of sufficient engineering control to reduce lead exposure levels. The company also failed to conduct additional lead exposure monitoring when alloys with higher lead content were used and the ventilation system wasn’t working. OSHA says the company also failed to regularly measure the ventilation system to gauge its effectiveness in controlling lead exposure, and respirators weren’t used when required.
These conditions resulted in three willful violations totaling $181,500.
A $4,000 serious citation was issued for employee overexposure to airborne copper fumes.
OSHA has placed Franklin in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program, which mandates follow-up inspections.
The company has 15 work days from receiving the citations to decide whether to contest them.
