Building Trades’ Hexavalent Chromium Lawsuit a Victory for Workers’ Safety
Last year, the AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Department (BCTD), along with the Laborers and Teamsters, brought a lawsuit against the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for excluding portland cement from the Hexavalent Chromium standard. Hexavalent chromium, which is in portland cement, is a known carcinogen, and exposure can also lead to “a career-ending disease called allergic contact dermatitis,” according to the Center to Protect Workers’ Rights.
On April 6, 2007, the two parties reached a settlement, which is expected to expand protections for BAC members and others in the building trades who work with portland cement. “This is a positive step forward for our members and other building trades workers because it will require inspectors to actually check to see if there are proper washing facilities, if workers have the appropriate personal protective equipment, and if they’ve been trained,” says Executive Vice President Gerald O’Malley.
On April 16, 2007, the Department of Labor issued a memorandum on the “Inspection Procedures for Construction Sites Using Portland Cement,” which details “specific enforcement procedures for compliance officers to follow at all construction sites where employees are working with portland cement.”
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