Contractor Issued $484,000 in Proposed Fines For 11 Alleged Willful Violations

The citations allege the company’s failure to train and protect workers against asbestos exposure at a Buffalo, NY, jobsite. OSHA says it found that several workers, including inexperienced college students who were cleaning up debris at a former department store warehouse, had not been trained in asbestos hazards and how to protect themselves. The workers allegedly also lacked proper respirators and protective clothing and had not been informed of the presence of asbestos on the site. Also, the employer allegedly failed to determine the asbestos exposure level and to establish a regulated work area for asbestos removal and handling and did not ensure that vacuums with HEPA filters were used to collect debris. Instead, OSHA claims methods were employed that could cause asbestos to be released into the air.

[Cambria Contracting Inc., Lockport, NY, Nov. 30, 2009]