St.
Louis area contractors Kehrer Brothers Construction and its affiliate D7
Roofing were investigated by OSHA for exposing Mexican H-2B visa temporary
workers to asbestos hazards during renovation of a former school building in
Okawville, Illinois. Kehrer was cited for 16 egregious violations, 9 willful
violations, and 6 serious violations for failing to warn the workers of
asbestos hazards, failing to provide proper training in asbestos remediation, and
failing to provide proper protective equipment, and for threatening to fire
workers who spoke with OSHA investigators.
According
to Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health David
Michaels, the workers were at the mercy of their employer, who helped them
obtain temporary work visas, arranged their housing, and drove them back and
forth to the project site: “They spoke no English … They were completely at his
mercy,” Michaels said. Kehrer affiliate D7 was also cited for 1 serious and 2
willful violations in the investigation.
