OSHA cited the New York Institute of Technology, Central Islip, N.Y., and proposed penalties of $103,500 against the school, for alleged employee asbestos exposure.
According to OSHA, the citations resulted from an inspection of the Central Islip campus conducted from May 11 to Nov. 3., following a complaint that employees were being exposed to asbestos at several buildings on campus which were undergoing renovation.
OSHA cited the Institute for two alleged willful violations of OSHA''s asbestos standards:
- failure to accurately monitor airborne concentrations of asbestos; failure to use proper engineering controls and work practices; and failure to conduct exposure assessments and ensure the use of respirators.
- failure to confine all asbestos work within regulated areas; failure to provide and require the use of protective clothing; failure to properly inform employees that they were working in asbestos contaminated areas; failure to affix labels to all products and containers of asbestos; and failure to properly dispose of asbestos waste in leak tight containers.
The Institute has until Nov. 28 to contest the citations.
by Virginia Sutcliffe