Plainfield e-recycling facility fined by OSHA for health violations

CHICAGO (Scrap Monster): Kuusakoski US LLC, Plainfield has been fined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) officials. The violations were found at the company’s 13543, South US Highway 30, Plainfield, Illinois facility.

According to the observation by OSHA officials, workers who carried out the job of separating circuit board from recycled products were found overexposed to high airborne concentrations of lead and cadmium. The company has received 35 violations including 26 serious health violations. OSHA has proposed penalties of $114,800. The company has fifteen business days from the date of receipt of citations and penalties to respond to the citations. The company has three options-discuss the matter with OSHA, correct and pay or contest the citation. The first correction deadline is 11^th September.

Kathy Webb, OSHA’s Area Director in Calumet City noted that the company lacked compliance programs to protect the workers by controlling the exposure levels to lead and cadmium, which on a longer term, could cause serious damages to central nervous, urinary, blood and reproductive systems.

Furthermore, the company failed to provide protective clothing to its employees. No showers or separate lunch facility were provided at the facility. The Kuusakoski facility also lacked hearing conservation and respiratory protection program. In addition, the company had failed to provide adequate training programs to workers to work on chemical hazards. The company was also cited for lack of adequate housekeeping procedures to remove lead and other harmful chemicals.

Originally founded in Finland in 1914, the Plainfield facility serves as the headquarters of Kuusakoski’s US operations.