|
Asbestos dust from deteriorating floor tiles at a postal service building in Oak Ridge could create health hazards, a federal report says.
There are approximately 40 employees in the building. All incoming and outgoing Oak Ridge mail are collected and sorted there.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) had issued a citation issued in May saying that employees could be exposed to the asbestos via contact with the mail cases, mail totes and mail trays through getting asbestos on their clothing and hands.
However, the Postal Service says that there is no potential hazard to the workers. In spite of the statement in the citation, OSHA officials also supported the Postal Service.
The Postal Service had been asked to pay a penalty of $1,500 however, it was later reduced to $750 after they applealed the original amount.
"OSHA and a private lab conducted air-quality tests of the building. It's been clearly shown that no health hazard exists," said David Flippo, safety manager for the Postal Service's Tennessee district.
The expense estimated for a project to replace the tiles is $90,000.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous silicate mineral. The small, buoyant fibers are easily inhaled or swallowed, causing a number of deadly diseases like asbestosis, a chronic disease of the lungs that makes breathing more and more difficult; and mesothelioma, a rare cancer, usually found in those exposed to asbestos, in the form of a malignant tumor in the mesothelium of the lungs and or abdomen.
|
 |
|
