Recycling facility fined nearly $23,000

Deficiencies detected in practices for handling hazardous materials

K-C Recycling has been fined $22,867 by WorkSafeBC. This firm's work site in Montrose, B.C. is a facility that recycles electronic waste, batteries, and cathode ray tubes. Workers at this site routinely handle recycled materials that contain a range of hazardous substances, including lead, silica, sulfuric acid, cadmium, chromium, mercury, and manganese.

 

WorkSafeBC inspected the site and observed deficiencies related to the firm's exposure control plan, ventilation system and other practices for handling hazardous materials. The firm failed to implement an effective exposure control plan to maintain workers' exposure as low as reasonably achievable. This was a repeated violation.

 

The firm also failed to ensure worker exposure to hazardous substances did not exceed allowable limits and failed to use substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls and/or personal protective equipment to effectively control worker exposure.

 

In addition, the firm failed to ensure that work area surfaces were kept free of accumulations of lead dust. These were all high-risk violations. 

Source: WorkSafeBC