Asbestos Testing Services

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently announced that a contractor rehabbing a historic commercial building in Kansas City continues to expose its workers to asbestos and other workplace hazards following a recent federal safety and health investigation.

OSHA cited the company for failing to follow federal respiratory protection requirements and other hazards. OSHA issued one repeat violation and eight serious violations, proposed $223,329 in penalties, and issued a hazard alert letter for asbestos and heat stress exposure. These latest actions follow previous inspections from November 2018, December 2020, and January 2021 that led to citations for inadequate personal protective equipment (PPE), asbestos and lead exposure, electrical hazards, and inadequate safety programs that resulted in penalties of over $100K.

“During remodeling and demolition projects in historic properties, exposure risks to asbestos, lead, and other potential hazards can be significant due to the dust, debris, and waste that is created,” said Joe Frasca, Senior Vice President of Marketing at EMSL Analytical, Inc. “Asbestos was used in the past in many building products that are still in these commercial, institutional, and residential properties. Regulations exist to protect workers and the public from inhaling asbestos fibers, a substance known to cause lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis. Fines for noncompliance can be substantial as this case illustrates.”

Identifying exposure risks due to the presence of asbestos, lead, PCBs, and many other hazardous materials are the industrial hygiene, material, and environmental testing experts at EMSL Analytical, Inc. EMSL has facilities across the United States and Canada that offer laboratory testing services, sampling supplies, easy-to-use test kits, air monitoring instruments, and wide range of PPE.

To learn more about EMSL’s laboratory testing services and products, please visit www.EMSL.com, call (800) 220-3675 or email info@EMSL.com. For access to asbestos and other indoor environmental quality (IEQ) test kits, visit www.EMSLTestKits.com. 

About EMSL Analytical, Inc.

EMSL Analytical is one of the leading testing laboratories throughout the United States and Canada. EMSL is a nationally recognized and locally focused provider specializing in fast laboratory results for mold, bacteria, Legionella, USP <797>, pathogens, asbestos, lead, soot, char & ash from fires, VOC’s, odors, radon, formaldehyde, indoor air quality, microbiology, environmental, industrial hygiene, radiological, food, beverage & consumer products, and material testing services for the identification of unknown substances. EMSL services both professionals and the general public. EMSL maintains an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies including, but not limited to A2LA, AIHA-LAP, LLC (AIHA-LAP, LLC EMLAP, AIHA-LAP, LLC IHLAP, AIHA-LAP, LLC ELLAP), NVLAP, CDC ELITE, CPSC, CA ELAP, NY ELAP, TX DOH, NJDEP, and multiple other state accrediting agencies. Please visit our website at www.EMSL.com for a complete listing of accreditations. In addition, EMSL carries a wide range of Sampling Equipment and Investigative Products for environmental professionals.