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Costly Fine for a Washington Employer that Allegedly Exposed their Truck Mechanics to Asbestos

Asbestos Testing Services

Category	Press Release
Publish Date	3/25/2025
Author	Paul Cochrane
Title	Costly Fine for a Washington Employer that Allegedly Exposed their Truck Mechanics to Asbestos
Introduction	EMSL Analytical offers laboratory testing services, sampling supplies, test kits, air monitoring instruments, and personal protective equipment to safeguard workers and the public, and to help companies comply with health and safety regulations.
Seattle, Washington, March 25, 2025 Last month, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) announced that an employer of truck mechanics at a facility in Spokane must pay a $231,000 fine for exposing their workers to asbestos. L&I claims that when a 60-year-old building was purchased by the company to renovate for use by their mechanics, the company began renovations without first getting it tested for asbestos. According to the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries: When it was tested, during an investigation by the Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency (SRCAA), all of the nearly 90,000 square feet of vinyl floor tiles and glue contained asbestos. This incident is a reminder that countless businesses, institutions, and even homes still have floor tiles in them that were made of asbestos. As these materials age and become friable, or are disturbed during renovation and demolition activities, people could be exposed to asbestos fibers. Exposure to these fibers over time can result in lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis. "To help businesses comply with health and safety regulations, EMSL Analytical has a testing laboratory in Washington that provides asbestos testing services, sampling supplies, easy-to-use test kits, air monitoring instruments, air scrubbers, and personal protective equipment,” said Joe Frasca, Senior Vice President of Marketing at EMSL Analytical, Inc. “These services and resources can be instrumental in helping companies identify asbestos-containing materials, and for assessing air and dust samples to ensure asbestos hazards are not generated that could harm workers, the public, and even future building occupants. Testing can also be an important part of helping companies comply with health and safety regulations to avoid noncompliance issues and costly penalties.” To learn more about asbestos or other environmental, health, and safety testing resources, please visit www.EMSL.com, call (800)220-3675, or email info@EMSL.com. To access test kits for asbestos or other environmental issues, visit www.EMSLTestKits.com. About EMSL Analytical, Inc. EMSL Analytical is one of the leading testing laboratories with locations 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, VOCs, 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 EMLAP, AIHA IHLAP, AIHA 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.