Chicago Workers' Compensation Attorney Blog

An Illinois company has been fined nearly $400,000 for 28 work-safety violations after the government reports the Coffeen company willfully exposed workers to high levels of hazardous dust, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration reported.

U.S. Minerals LLC is facing $396,000 in fines for exposing employees to dangerously high levels of hazardous dust and not providing adequate breathing protection, according to the government. Our Chicago workers' compensation lawyers know the resulting injuries in such cases often occur over years and can go unlinked to workplace exposure. Proving the resulting medical conditions -- which can range from emphysema to cancer -- qualify as a Chicago work injury can be a complex process best left to an experienced law firm.

"U.S. Minerals has severely jeopardized the health and safety of its workers by exposing them to extremely high levels of hazardous dust and other dangers," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Dr. David Michaels. "This is the fourth U.S. Minerals facility where very serious violations were cited in the past three months, clearly indicating these problems are widespread and systemic. This blatant disregard of workers' health and safety is not acceptable."

Breathing the hazardous dust at the facility has been linked to debilitating lung disease such as pneumoconiosis, which is characterized by symptoms including chronic cough, difficulty breathing and shortness of breath.

The investigation was conducted under the government's Severe Violators Enforcement Program. U.S. Minerals Coffeen facility was issued six willful citations with proposed fines of $336,000. A willful violation is defined as one committed with intentional, knowing or voluntary disregard for the law's requirements or plain indifference to employee safety and health.

"U.S. Minerals continually has failed to come into compliance on safety issues such as providing adequate breathing protection," said OSHA Area Director Thomas Bielema in Fairview Heights, Ill. "We are committed to seeing that the workers at this facility are provided a safe and healthful workplace."

The company was also issued seven repeat violations and 10 serious violations. In September, OSHA issued $466,400 in fines to the company's Baldwin, Illinois facility for 35 work health and safety violations. Company-owned facilities in Texas and Louisiana have also been cited.