Mesothelioma News: U. S. Steel Corporation Asbestos Citation

 The removal of asbestos from various sites poses serious health hazards. This hazard does not only affect the workers who are exposed but also the communities where such exposure occurs. Exposure through secondary exposure or take home exposure may affect the rest of the community. In the U. S. today, companies face legal action for their failure to comply with rules and laws that regulate the handling of asbestos. Such rules and laws regulate handling, disposing and removal of asbestos containing materials. The Regional Director of Public Affairs at the U. S. Department of Labor, Scott Allen stated that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued hundreds of citations every year to companies that violate asbestos laws. This article will discuss the U. S. Steel Corporation violation.

U. S. Steel Corporation Violation

The citations issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration range from violations for improper handling and failure to dispose of asbestos containing materials to untrained employees handling asbestos containing products. The U. S. Steel Corporation in August 2016 was issued with a one hundred and seventy thousand dollar citation. The citation was for violating laws in respect of their employees. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the U. S. Steel Corporation twice in a month gave seven employees tasks that exposed them to asbestos. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration stated that this was the second time the U. S. Steel Corporation was issued with a violation citation. In 2011 a citation for thirty five thousand dollars in respect of employee exposure to asbestos hazards.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspectors found ten violations in the U. S. Steel Corporation investigation. Of which four were serious violations and six were repeat violations. Some of the violations were:

Serious violations:

• Workers improperly disposed asbestos waste, debris, containers, contaminated clothing and other materials
• The employer failed to ensure that workers exposed to excessive levels of asbestos participate in an asbestos training program

Repeat violations:

• Leak-tight containers not used to dispose of asbestos contaminated waste or debris.