U-Haul Faces Major Fines for Recklessly Exposing Workers to Asbestos

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News Summary

U-Haul has been fined $231,000 for exposing employees to asbestos during renovations in Spokane, highlighting serious safety violations and negligence.

U-Haul Faces Major Fines for Recklessly Exposing Workers to Asbestos

High-Stakes Renovation Gone Wrong

A troubling situation has arisen in Spokane, where a local U-Haul owner is being slapped with an imposing fine of $231,000 by the Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I). The hefty fines come as a result of the company’s reckless decision to knowingly expose employees to asbestos during renovations of a facility originally constructed nearly 60 years ago.

In 2019, U-Haul made the purchase of a former K-Mart building in Spokane with plans for extensive renovations. However, alarmingly, no proper testing for hazardous materials was conducted before work commenced. As the renovation saga unfolded, the Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency (SRCAA) made a shocking discovery: all 90,000 square feet of vinyl floor tiles and the adhesive binding them contained asbestos. This misstep has cast a long shadow over U-Haul’s operations.

The Dangers of Asbestos Ignored

Asbestos is widely recognized as a highly hazardous material that can lead to severe health issues, including asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer, when disturbed. It’s no wonder that strict regulations dictate that only certified abatement contractors are allowed to remove and dispose of materials containing asbestos. Yet, U-Haul’s management seemed to disregard these essential precautions.

While U-Haul made some efforts by coating tiles with epoxy and hiring an asbestos abatement company for parts of the job, this was not enough to prevent the potential fallout. When the new service center opened in March 2023, approximately 7,400 square feet of untreated asbestos-containing tiles remained, creating a hazardous environment for workers.

The Unfolding Crisis

Mechanics on the job quickly reported an alarming issue: tiles began to pop up shortly after the facility opened, largely due to the substantial weight of the vehicles being serviced. In what can only be described as a dangerous escalation, workers were instructed to dispose of loosened tiles in regular trash, blissfully unaware that they were handling hazardous material. It is estimated that between 200 and 300 square feet of tiles were tossed aside this way, exposing unsuspecting workers to the dangers of asbestos.

Furthermore, in multiple areas of the facility, workers resorted to using shovels, putty knives, and even torches to tackle troublesome tiles. Disturbingly, the only protective gear they had was disposable gloves and safety glasses, completely inadequate for a task that mandated robust personal protective equipment (PPE) such as respirators. None of the employees involved had received the necessary training or certification required for proper asbestos removal, further exacerbating the risks they faced.

A Knowingly Willful Violation

The implications of these incidents are severe. Craig Blackwood, assistant director for L&I’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, indicated that U-Haul management had full knowledge of these unsafe practices and effectively encouraged them. The citations slapped on U-Haul list 16 serious asbestos-related violations, categorized as willful, which means the company either knew about or should have been aware of the required safety standards.

This isn’t U-Haul’s first brush with asbestos violations. The company faced prior citations and fines from the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in 2019 for similar issues involving asbestos-containing flooring from yet another K-Mart site. The pattern of neglect raises serious questions about U-Haul’s commitment to worker safety.

What Happens Next?

The fines imposed by L&I will be directed to the state’s workers’ compensation supplemental pension fund, which aids those injured on the job and supports families of deceased workers. As of now, U-Haul of Spokane has not publicly responded to the serious citation. The ongoing ramifications of this incident are far-reaching, not only for the company involved but for the safety and well-being of all employees working in potentially hazardous environments.

As awareness grows around workplace safety and the call for stringent regulations on asbestos handling intensifies, the pressing need for accountability in scenarios like this becomes clearer. The tragic reality is that negligence can have fatal consequences, leaving a trail of destruction that lasts for generations.