“The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Illinois Gun Works Ltd. (above left) for 28 alleged health violations following a Jan. 21 inspection referred by the Illinois Department of Public Health that found two gun range operators were exposed to airborne lead levels up to 12 times the permissible level.” Illinois, eh? That would be in the last state in these here United wherein the government has denied American citizens their constitutional right to carry a concealed weapon. Elmwood Park is 13 miles from the center of the Windy City, whose opposition to gun rights has stymied the state’s gun rights advocates. Of course, one has nothing to do with the other. And Chicago Mayor and former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel has no pull with the Illinois Department of Public Health or OSHA. Setting aside my tin foil hat, make the jump for the list of offenses via insurancejournal.com. . .
OSHA cited Illinois Gun Works for 27 serious violations (“substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known”). Thirteen of the violations were lead-related, including failure to:
- implement engineering and work practice controls to reduce exposure,
- collect full shift personal samples for monitoring, measure effectiveness of the ventilation system to control exposure,
- provide clean protective clothing,
- dispose of or replace protective clothing, provide clean changing rooms or separate storage facilities for protective work clothing to prevent cross-contamination with street clothes,
- require workers exposed to lead to shower at the end of a shift or to ensure workers washed hands and faces prior to consuming food during breaks, and
- implement a medical surveillance program for all employees who were exposed to lead at or above the action levels, including biological monitoring such as blood sampling.
The remaining serious violations include . . .
failing to implement a hazard communication program, train workers on hazardous chemicals present in the work environment, label chemical bottles with contents and a hazard warning, administer an effective hearing conservation program, train in the use of personal protective equipment and implement a respirator protection program that includes, fit testing and training
Fair enough? IGW has 15 days to get the lead out and pay the $111k fines. Meanwhile, it looks like opening and/or running a range in the fifth most populous U.S. state just got a lot more expensive.