Hexavalent Chromium Exposure Costs Pennsylvania Company $66,300

A steel plate manufacturing company in Conshohocken, PA has been cited for eight health and safety violations by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The company’s proposed fines total $66,300.

The violations were identified when an inspection took place as a result of a complaint that workers were being overexposed to metal fumes. Upon inspection, one major violation included employees being exposed to four times the legal amount of hexavalent chromium, putting them at risk for serious injuries.

According to the OSHA, the company failed to establish protection to guarantee workers would not fall off 20 foot platforms. Additionally, the company’s headquarters in London, England was cited for electrical hazards, not sufficiently fitting workers for equipment, and lack of training in audiometric, transmission devices, industrial trucks, and respiratory protection.

Exposure to hexavalent chromium for extended time periods increases the risk of lung cancer. Inhaling high levels of hexavalent chromium can also damage the nose, throat and lungs. Direct contact with the chemical in high concentrations or for long periods of time can result in eye and skin damage.

“Workers are especially susceptible to the damaging effects of hexavalent chromium given that they are exposed often and for long time durations,” explains Scott Van Etten, CIH, National Director of Industrial Hygiene at EMSL Analytical. “EMSL Analytical is one of the nation’s leading environmental testing laboratories and offers advanced testing for hexavalent chromium compliant with OSHA’s sampling standards.”

For more information on EMSL’s testing services, please contact EMSL at (800) 220-3675, visit www.EMSL.com, or email  info@EMSL.com .

About EMSL Analytical, Inc.
EMSL Analytical, Inc. is a full service testing company providing quality lab services under the same private ownership since 1981. Including the corporate lab facility in Cinnaminson, NJ, EMSL Analytical operates over thirty laboratories nationwide in the US and Canada. We provide analytical services for environmental, indoor air quality (IAQ), industrial hygiene, forensics and materials science, consumer products, food safety, PCR, pharmaceutical, asbestos, lead, and radiological samples. The company has an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations, as well as state and federal regulating bodies. Please see our website for a complete listing of accreditations.

Contact Information

Joseph Frasca

Senior Vice President of Marketing

EMSL Analytical

(1) 1-800-220-3675

jfrasca@emsl.com