A battery manufacturing company in Augusta was hit with a penalty in excess of $100,000 after the U.S. Department of Labor said it exposed its employees to lead and arsenic.
A 22-page citation lists the myriad of “serious” violations by U.S. Battery Manufacturing Co., some of which are repeat offenses. The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) said employees were exposed to levels of lead “exceeding the permissible exposure limit” and arsenic above the action level.
“Elevated lead levels can cause debilitating and permanent health issues,” said William Fulcher, a director of OSHA in Atlanta.
Fulcher said OSHA’s standard requires employers to keep workers’ exposure to lead at a minimum by “including engineering controls, safe work practices, and providing protective clothing and equipment.”
OSHA said U.S. Battery Manufacturing failed to provide training and did not implement a medical surveillance program that would have protected employees.
The citation notification shows that some employees were exposed to lead levels more than five times the permissible limit. Three employees were medically removed from the company in October 2018 due to high blood levels. U.S. Battery Manufacturing didn’t keep accurate records of those situations, OSHA said.
The company faces a $115,594 fine. It has 15 days to comply or contest the penalty.
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