Federal workplace safety inspectors have cited a New York thermometer manufacturer for overexposing its employees to mercury at its West Babylon facility.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspectors said they determined Kessler Thermometer Corp. overexposed employees to airborne elemental mercury in August 2022 while they worked to distill and purify elemental mercury, fill thermometers, blow glass and during calibration and engraving of thermometers and hydrometers.
Kessler Thermometer Corp. operates an 8,000-square-foot laboratory and manufacturing facility in West Babylon. Its current ownership has operated the company since 2002.
Kessler has 15 business days to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
Agency inspectors said they found the company willfully exposed and severely sickened workers by allowing the airborne concentration of the toxic metal to exceed the 8-hour, time-weighted average based on biological exposure indices. OSHA inspectors said they identified 18 serious violations, one willful violation and two other-than-serious violations by Kessler Thermometer Corp. and proposed $195,988 in penalties.
“This company has been operating for about 20 years and knows the dangers the workers face,” said OSHA Area Director Kevin Sullivan.
Topics Commercial Lines Workers' Compensation Business Insurance
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