The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fined the city of Central Point $ 815 for violating various regulations relating to asbestos.
Although only a small amount of asbestos found in the remaining debris from the demolition of 100 years of the house in February 2009, the city was given three citations to a number of issues ranging from failure to inform employees the possible presence of asbestos does not provide adequate training and clothing to the workers handling asbestos-contaminated materials.
"Basically, they are supposed to have told employees there was potentially asbestos or that the material might contain asbestos. They were then supposed to have proof that before they started working," said Oregon OSHA spokesman Melanie Mesaros .
Exposure to asbestos is a serious concern because of health conditions can develop as a result of inhalation or ingestion of toxic asbestos fibers. Mesothelioma, a rare, aggressive cancer almost exclusively caused by exposure to asbestos.
According to the Public Works Director Bob Pierce, the rules for the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and OSHA reviewed before the demolition of city officials who said that the site was exempt from most regulations in accordance to DEQ standards.
Employees involved in the demolition were instructed to spray water on the site if dust were present. The site was also examined by a city building official shall determine the structure was not likely to contain materials contaminated with asbestos.
"The result was we made some mistakes, and fesses up to and fined $ 815," said Pierce. "We take our employees' safety very seriously. We went there thinking he had done everything the way it should have been done."
Inspectors visited the site and found a minimal debris remaining in the test, since most had already been buried.
"They tested for three types of things - roofing, tile and linoleum - and a sample with less than 1 percent (asbestos). Therefore, do not expose anyone to asbestos from what we can determine here but there are other measures that should have been, "added Pierce.
Pierce noted that the city now use contractors for demolition projects.
Although only a small amount of asbestos found in the remaining debris from the demolition of 100 years of the house in February 2009, the city was given three citations to a number of issues ranging from failure to inform employees the possible presence of asbestos does not provide adequate training and clothing to the workers handling asbestos-contaminated materials.
"Basically, they are supposed to have told employees there was potentially asbestos or that the material might contain asbestos. They were then supposed to have proof that before they started working," said Oregon OSHA spokesman Melanie Mesaros .
Exposure to asbestos is a serious concern because of health conditions can develop as a result of inhalation or ingestion of toxic asbestos fibers. Mesothelioma, a rare, aggressive cancer almost exclusively caused by exposure to asbestos.
According to the Public Works Director Bob Pierce, the rules for the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and OSHA reviewed before the demolition of city officials who said that the site was exempt from most regulations in accordance to DEQ standards.
Employees involved in the demolition were instructed to spray water on the site if dust were present. The site was also examined by a city building official shall determine the structure was not likely to contain materials contaminated with asbestos.
"The result was we made some mistakes, and fesses up to and fined $ 815," said Pierce. "We take our employees' safety very seriously. We went there thinking he had done everything the way it should have been done."
Inspectors visited the site and found a minimal debris remaining in the test, since most had already been buried.
"They tested for three types of things - roofing, tile and linoleum - and a sample with less than 1 percent (asbestos). Therefore, do not expose anyone to asbestos from what we can determine here but there are other measures that should have been, "added Pierce.
Pierce noted that the city now use contractors for demolition projects.
