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WASHINTON - OSHA is about to fine the Stewart Elementary School for the violation of asbestos regulations which was revealed in an investigation.
It was in March that the cracking and crumbling of some floor tiles came into the attention a kindergarten teacher who reported it to the officials. A superintendent then pulled up the asbestos contaminated tiles which was more than 170-square-feet and deposited them in the school dumpster.
OSHA received a complain regarding this action started investigation on the issue.
Melissa Walker, the principal of Stewart Elementary said that they have tried to do whatever they could have done in that situation.
"I think there were many levels of concern and that's justifiable because when you hear asbestos, it's kind of a scary substance. We tried to do what we could at the time," she said.
OSHA cited three important violations. The first one is that the employee who removed the asbestos was not trained either in that job or in using a respirator. Asbestos contaminated tiles being tossed in the trash was the second breach. And the third violation is that the custodial staff was not trained on how to work around asbestos.
The school was built in 1939, much before the malignant substance was banned as a building material.
The expected fine amount is around 4-thousand dollars. The amount may be still reduced as the school has already made changes.
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