A Marion company is looking at almost $170,000 in fines from OSHA. The federal agency says Semco Incorporated is facing the fines for willful and serious violations of federal workplace safety and health regulations.
The inspection, which started with a 2005 investigation, resumed in October to determine if the company had corrected safety hazards. That October inspection revealed 3 willful violations and 21 alleged serious violations.
According to OSHA. the three willful violations included overexposure to beryllium, failing to mandate employees be clean shaven when wearing respirators, and lack of engineering controls and personal protective equipment in molten metal furnace and pouring operations.
They could be fined $169, 200 by the US Department of Labor.
In the past, the company, located on Pole Lane Road, has been cited 11 times for serious violations and twice for repeat violations.
Semco is a beryllium/copper foundry. Beryllium is a hardening agent for copper and has been classified as a Category 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. A category 1 is the highest category, used to represent substances known to lead to cancer in varying doses.
High exposure to beryllium can also lead to carcoidosis, pneumonitis, and pulmonary problems.
