The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is proposing over $200,000 in fines for a Janesville business accused of repeated safety violations.
OSHA says Universal Recycling Technologies was cited in April of 2023 for exposing employees to unsafe levels of lead and cadmium while they dismantled cathode ray tubes from older TVs.
A follow-up inspection by federal workplace safety investigators in April of 2024 found the company continuing to expose workers to unsafe levels of the toxic heavy metals.
OSHA found Universal Recycling Technologies failed to implement adequate engineering controls and did not keeps surfaces as free as practicable from lead and cadmium.
OSHA says overexposure to these toxic metals can cause severe damage to blood-forming, nervous, urinary, and reproductive systems.
Universal Recycling Technologies has 15 days to either comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
Based in Janesville, Universal Recycling Technologies also has locations in New Hampshire, Oregon, and Texas.
