A Milwaukee, Wis. battery manufacturer exposed workers to lead and failed to implement an effective management program, according to OSHA.
Agency inspectors discovered 14 employees at C & D Technologies Inc. were exposed to airborne lead at levels 11 times above the permissible limit.
“Employers are required to continually evaluate their facilities for hazards, and use the proper safety controls and equipment to keep their worksites safe and healthful,” said Chris Zortman, OSHA Milwaukee area director, in a statement. “This company failed to protect their employees from the serious risks of lead exposure.”
The agency cited C & D Technologies Inc. with two repeated and six serious violations after it found the company failed to implement sufficient controls to prevent exposure; monitor ventilation for the presence of lead; post warning signs in work areas that exceeded the permissible exposure limit; provide respiratory protection; install machine guarding; and guard floor holes.
Proposed penalties for the citations total $147,822.
C & D Technologies, which was previously was cited for similar violations in 2010, has 15 days to respond to OSHA.