OSHA fines Khan’s company $57,000 for “serious” safety violations at plant

It’s safe to say that Jaguars owner Shahid Khan is feeling a little shocked and perplexed right now.

According to the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has imposed $57,000 in fines against Khan’s company, Flex-N-Gate, for safety problems at its Urbana, Illinois plant.

The fines arise from nine “serious” violations, four of which blame the company for performing “inadequate medical surveillance” for workers exposed to chromium and chromic acid.

“Chromium produces small dust particles that, when breathed, can be dangerous to your health,” OSHA spokeswoman Rhonda Burke said.

The other violations include failure to monitor exposure to chromium, failure to maintain surfaces free of chromium accumulation, and failure to give effective information and training to employees on hazardous chemicals.

Part of the problem is that the plant has a high concentration of Congolese workers who speak French, not English.

Prior to the NFL draft, the United Auto Workers rallied against Khan’s company in New York City, as part of an obvious effort to unionize the Flex-N-Gate facilities. The OSHA findings surely won’t make the employees less likely to unionize.

As long as the UAW has a French interpreter.

(Photo credit: Ryan Ketterman/FloridaTrend.com)