OSHA Says Kansas’ Spirit Aerosystems Exposed Employees to Known Carcinogen

Federal safety regulators have proposed penalties totaling $194,006 against a Wichita, Kansas-based airline manufacturer for allegedly exposing its employees to a known carcinogen

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited aircraft manufacturer Spirit Aerosystems Inc. for exposing employees to hexavalent chromium, a known carcinogen. The company was cited with one willful and five serious violations.

OSHA said its investigators found that the Kansas-based defense contractor exposed employees to airborne concentrations of hexavalent chromium nearly two times the permissible exposure limit.

The company allegedly failed to implement sufficient feasible engineering and work practice controls to prevent exposure, conduct monitoring or sampling, provide training, and require employees to properly remove potentially contaminated personal protective equipment and clothing before leaving the sanding area.

Spirit Aerosystems has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Topics Workers' Compensation