Asbestos Violations Result in Incarceration and Fines
Asbestos violations are costing some companies thousands of dollars. In one case, the court sentenced a man to jail time for his role in exposing workers to the dangerous mineral. Authorities can impose big fines and harsh penalties on those who break federal and state asbestos laws.
National asbestos legislation, as well as state rules, are in place to protect workers and the public. Handling of legacy asbestos products, asbestos removal and disposal are all regulated.
Contact with asbestos and inhaling the mineral’s fibers is the primary cause of mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer. Exposure can also cause a number of other asbestos-related diseases such as lung cancer, asbestosis and ovarian cancer.
Contractor Gets 10-Year Sentence for Exposing Workers to Asbestos
In November 2024, a jury found 55-year-old Lance Slayton guilty of criminal exploitation of an at-risk elder and breaking the Air Quality Control Act. A judge has now sentenced the Colorado contractor to 10 years behind bars for exposing employees to asbestos.
Police say Slayton hired 27-year-old Jimmy Gollihugh Jr. for demolition work, but didn’t warn him about the presence of asbestos at the site. In fact, authorities accuse Slayton of taking down asbestos warning signs before hiring Gollihugh.
Unaware of the presence of asbestos, Gollihugh was reportedly seen working in the apartment without proper personal protective equipment. Additionally, he wasn’t licensed for abatement work.
In 2022, a building owner in Arvada, near Denver, hired Slayton to fix an apartment after a fire. Police say someone told Slayton that tests found a “major spill” of asbestos in the unit.
Authorities were notified before the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment stopped Gollihugh from finishing the job. The Colorado state attorney general’s office filed charges against Slayton.
Investigators found asbestos debris from the apartment in an open trailer. This puts the public in the area at risk of asbestos exposure.
U-Haul and JBS Prepared Foods Fined for Asbestos in Flooring
U-Haul is facing allegations it’s responsible for workers’ asbestos exposure in Spokane, Washington. The company is being fined $231,000 for exposure on rental trucks.
According to the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, U-Haul had purchased an old K-Mart building in 2019. The company was using the space for mechanics to perform repairs and maintenance to rental trucks. There were asbestos flooring tiles in the building that were then damaged and exposed the mechanics.
A Washington State L&I news release states, “Mechanics told L&I inspectors the vinyl tiles started popping up almost immediately due to use of jack stands and the weight of the vehicles on the flooring. They were instructed by management to throw them away in the regular trash. Workers threw away 200-300 square feet of tiles, never realizing they were handling asbestos.”
Proper protective gear wasn’t worn. Some workers removed the tiles with putty knives, shovels and a torch. Damaging and removing the asbestos-containing tiles released fibers into the air that could be inhaled and carried on skin, hair and clothing.
L&I reports U-Haul didn’t conduct appropriate asbestos tests on the flooring. The Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency found asbestos in all the vinyl flooring tiles and adhesives used on flooring in the building. This includes 90,000 square feet of material.
OSHA in California also cited and fined the same U-Haul franchise owner in 2019. Employees used demolition equipment to remove asbestos flooring from another K-Mart building. This building was in Santa Barbara County, California.
An Indiana company is also facing fines related to asbestos floor tiles. OSHA in Indiana found 5 serious violations at JBS Prepared Foods in Elkhart following inspections in November and December 2024.
The agency states employees were exposed to asbestos while removing floor tiles. OSHA fined JBS Prepared Foods $12,000 for safety risks and for failing to train workers for asbestos work.
Dangers of Legacy Asbestos
Older homes, schools and other buildings built before the 1980s likely contain asbestos. The mineral was widely used in construction materials such as cement and insulation.
Manufacturers used asbestos in flooring for many years. This includes asphalt, linoleum, laminate, thermoplastic and sheet tiles. The backing material on the flooring and some adhesives may also contain asbestos. It was also used in the backing of products like vinyl wallpaper.
Legacy asbestos products pose a greater risk after they’re damaged in renovations, demolition or fires. Tiny asbestos fibers can become airborne and be inhaled, posing serious health risks.