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December 19, 2013
Tucson, Arizona - After being cited for seven asbestos-related violations, Canyon Building and Design, a construction company, was fined $10,500 by the Industrial Commission of Arizona. The fine comes after a months-long investigation by the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH), the state’s OSHA department.
The ADOSH was looking into Canyon’s construction of a new campus for the Basis Tucson charter school, which required the demolition of two 1960s buildings. Surveys indicated the presence of asbestos, and in response, Canyon hired a specialist to remove the hazardous material, with the work set to begin after Memorial Day weekend. However, prior to the removal crew’s arrival, the site supervisor and another Canyon employee allegedly removed approximately 60’ of copper pipes from the site.
The ADOSH report indicates that Canyon failed to ensure proper techniques were used in removing the asbestos. The area should have been closed off with plastic while the material was placed in airtight containers, and the workers should have been trained in safe removal procedures.
The new building for the Basis Tucson charter school was built using materials that are free of asbestos, which is the prime cause of mesothelioma. Many industries used asbestos until its dangerous properties became common knowledge in the second half of the twentieth century. Because of mesothelioma’s lengthy latency period, diagnoses have continued, decades after asbestos use was made illegal.
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