[CPEO-MEF] HEALTH, BERYLLIUM: Livermore Labs (CA) fined

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

Nuclear lab fined over worker protections

The Energy Department cites deficiencies in Lawrence Livermore National 
Laboratory's efforts to prevent exposure to toxic beryllium.

By Ralph Vartabedian
Los Angeles Times
November 10, 2010



The Energy Department said Tuesday it had fined Lawrence Livermore 
National Laboratory, one of the nation's two nuclear weapons design 
centers, $200,000 for deficiencies in its program to protect workers 
from exposure to toxic beryllium dust.

A consent order issued by the Energy Department's Office of Health, 
Safety and Security outlined a series of breakdowns at the lab, 
including failure to adequately control worker exposure, perform hazard 
assessments in buildings, measure the amount of beryllium in work areas 
and effectively train employees who work with the metal.

The violations occurred as recently as February, when "a machinist 
unknowingly performed machining on a classified beryllium part that 
resulted in likely exposure," according to a consent decree issued in 
October.


...

For the entire article, see
http://latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-livermore-20101110,0,7035470.s
tory
(Note that the link wraps.)
--


Lenny Siegel
Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org



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