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Investigators from the U.S. Labor Department decided to charge the Parkway Village Cooperative for allegedly sending workers for the maintenance of asbestos contaminated pipes. Federal officials are targeting $117,000 in proposed fines from the co-op for the violation of federal safety standards.
According to the allegation, crews were ordered by Parkway Village officials to crawl into the underground spaces for repairing heating pipes containing asbestos. Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous silicate mineral widely used in industries in the past due to its strength, chemical and thermal stability. The fibers can enter the lungs as a person breathes and cause many diseases, including cancer. The only known reason for mesothelioma, a potentially fatal cancer, is the exposure to asbestos.
The federal investigators accuses that Parkway Village officials were aware of the presence of the cancer-causing agent and despite this knowledge, they failed to notify their workers of the contaminant’s presence or to provide proper safety equipment.
The investigation had begun the last November.
Richard Mendelson, director of the Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration for Queens said that there was not good reason for needlessly exposing the employees to the hazards of asbestos, particularly when the Parkway knew those work areas were asbestos contaminated and also knew what it had to do to protect its employees.
No Parkway Village officials were available for comment.
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