As electric cars become increasingly prevalent, it’s important to scrutinize and highlight any potential security risks they may pose. This includes any risks faced by those on the manufacturing side.
Recently, the United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) called out one specific electric vehicle battery manufacturer for exposing employees to dangerous levels of nickel and other mixed metals at a Georgia facility.
In January, the OSHA announced that SK Battery America Inc. would receive citations for six violations — this totals up to $70,000 in potential fines, according to a press release. The facility in Commerce, Georgia, exposed workers to “potentially disabling safety and health hazards,” the department announced.
Among the violations, the OSHA said the company exposed workers at the plant to “continuous noise levels” that went over "the 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 A-weighted decibels.” This error resulted from the company failing to craft a noise-monitoring protocol and falling short of “establishing an audiometric testing program.”
Additionally, the employees at the facility who worked directly with nickel, cobalt, and manganese were exposed to “respiratory hazards” because the company did not go through with proper workplace hazard assessments. The department asserts that the company did not make sure that sanitary and disinfected respirators were provided to employees. Also, respirators on hand were not stored properly in a way that would shield the workers from “material contamination.”
The OSHA announcement also cited that the company didn’t make eyewash stations and emergency showers accessible to people who worked with these corrosive materials. Finally, they asserted that SK Battery America Inc. “left workers handling bags of nickel powder vulnerable to respiratory hazards by not providing feasible administrative or engineering controls to reduce exposure levels.”
In the OSHA release, it’s important to note that they acknowledge that SK Battery America Inc. “contested the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission."
In the release, Joshua Turner, OSHA Area Office Director in the Atlanta-East area, put the announcement in context.
"The lithium battery industry has experienced unprecedented growth, and with that growth comes a heightened responsibility to ensure the safety of those at the forefront of innovation. SK Battery America Inc. is well aware that materials used to produce lithium batteries can cause debilitating and permanent health issues,” he said. “OSHA's continued efforts to identify and remain vigilant to these emerging hazards is key in helping the industry understand how to eliminate employee exposures in the workplace. No employer should overlook the reality that is not just about advancing technology; it is about prioritizing the safety of your employees.”