U.S. Department of Labor and New York Manufacturer Reach Settlement to Improve Safety and Health

NEW YORK, NY – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Acme Parts, Inc., of Brooklyn have reached a settlement agreement to improve Acme Parts’ workplace safety and health.

OSHA found high levels of lead throughout the facility presenting serious lead hazards to employees.  Workers who ingest or inhale lead are at risk of serious lead-induced health hazards, including hypertension; cardiovascular, kidney, and neurological diseases; adverse reproductive effects; and cancer.

Under the terms of the agreement, Acme Parts will pay $40,000 in penalties. Additionally, Acme Parts has agreed to hire a qualified lead hazards and abatement consultant to evaluate the facility and to recommend improved practices.

“Once implemented, the changes from the Acme Parts’ settlement will have a significant and long-lasting impact for workers at this facility,” said OSHA Regional Administrator Robert Kulick.

“The fines and abatement measures packaged together will raise awareness among employers working with leaded brass about the potential serious health effects of occupational lead exposure. This result highlights the need for comprehensive risk assessment and implementation of policies, procedures, and equipment to reduce such exposure,” said Regional Solicitor of Labor Jeffrey S. Rogoff.

OSHA cited the company in April 2016 after an inspection by its Manhattan Area Office. Attorneys Kathryn L. Stewart and R. Alexander Cárdenas of the Department’s New York Regional Solicitor’s Office litigated the case.