Inspectors for the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) of Iowa have fined the state Department of Corrections in excess of $11,000 for failure to protect inmates and employees from asbestos exposure.

According to a story aired on WHO-TV Des Moines, OSHA administrator Mary Bryant claims that eight inmates and their supervisor may have inhaled dangerous asbestos particles while renovating an office building on the prison grounds in Newton, Iowa.

She added that a report issued in March determined that the Department of Corrections did not supply respirators for the eight men doing the renovation work nor did it pre-test for asbestos or monitor air levels for asbestos concentration. The corrections officer supervising the work was also unprotected.

“The asbestos was in the glue that had been used to put tile down,” Bryant explains.

The Iowa Department of Corrections has not issued a statement about the incident. However, a spokesperson did indicate that “the department is in negotiations with Iowa Occupational Health and Safety to resolve the matter and determine what type of corrective action should be taken.”

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 22nd, 2008 at 10:50 am and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.