Plane Components Provider Fined $308K for Poisonous Substance Hazards

HARTFORD, CT — A Connecticut plane elements producer didn’t take required steps to establish potential exposures and shield staff from hexavalent chromium and cadmium – each recognized carcinogens – at its Bloomfield facility, a U.S. Division of Labor office security inspection has discovered.

Inspectors with the division’s Occupational Security and Well being Administration decided staff at Kaman Air Automobiles confronted publicity and potential overexposure to the poisonous substances whereas electroplating, mixing and getting ready, and portray and eradicating paint on small plane elements. OSHA carried out the inspection underneath its Nationwide Emphasis Program on Hexavalent Chromium.

OSHA cited Kaman for 2 willful, 4 critical and two other-than-serious violations, and proposed $308,168 in penalties. Particularly, OSHA inspectors discovered the corporate did not:

• Decide staff’ publicity to hexavalent chromium.
• Assess staff’ overexposure to cadmium throughout plating operations.
• Implement controls and work practices to cut back staff’ overexposure to chromium.
• Present staff with applicable private protecting gear, together with chemical-resistant gloves and impervious aprons, and guarantee their use.
• Guarantee uncovered staff used efficient respiratory safety.
• Periodically look at nostrils of uncovered staff.
• Present staff with applicable data and coaching on chromium hazards.
• Label tanks containing hazardous substances with data on the hazards related to their contents.

“Our inspection discovered Kaman Air Automobiles failed to guard staff as required from probably critical well being situations,” mentioned OSHA Performing Space Director Christine George in Hartford, Connecticut. “This employer should guarantee a protected, healthful work setting by monitoring employee publicity, implementing controls to cut back and decrease publicity ranges and supply staff with details about the poisonous substances with which they work.”

The corporate has 15 enterprise days from receipt of its citations and penalties to conform, request a casual convention with OSHA’s space director, or contest the findings earlier than the impartial Occupational Security and Well being Assessment Fee.

Kaman Air Automobiles is a division of Kaman Aerospace Corp., which conducts enterprise within the aerospace and protection, industrial and medical markets. Bloomfield-based Kaman produces and markets proprietary plane bearings and elements, amongst different merchandise.