New York contracting company faces fines following OSHA investigation

October 18, 2009

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has taken issue with the recent actions of a company based in Cheektowaga, New York. OSHA has accused the company of jeopardizing the health and safety of their workers. Superior General Contracting will face fines levied by OSHA that total $50,000. OSHA says that the company failed to adequately protect their workers when they were working in an environment that could have exposed them to asbestos. The incident occurred during a residential remodeling job in Amherst.

Asbestos exposure has been incontrovertibly linked to the development of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that affects less than 3,000 Americans each year. Asbestos exposure can also cause pleural plaques, lung cancer, and asbestosis. There is some evidence that ingesting asbestos can lead to digestive or lower GI cancers as well.

There is no known mesothelioma cure. However, treatments like radiation, chemo, surgical interventions, clinical trials, and even some kinds of prescription drugs can help patients if the disease is caught during the early stages. Symptoms can include weakness, difficulty breathing, and buildup of fluid in the lungs or chest cavity. The disease can lie dormant for decades, and so many patients do not realize they are sick until up to 50 years after being exposed to asbestos. Once the symptoms present themselves, the disease can kill within only a few months. Many patients often succumb to the disease within 24 months of being diagnosed.

Superior General Contracting now has 15 business days to comply with the fines, or to contest OSHA’s findings.