Workers at Tenneco Automotive in Smithville have been exposed to dangerous levels of Hexavalent Chromium which can cause lung cancer. Supervisors at the plant first notified employees last spring. They told workers exposure may also have impacted their families because they may have taken home cancer causing dust on their uniforms.
Tenneco spokesperson Steven Blow told NewsChannel 5 that the company quickly took action when they discovered high levels of hexavalent chromium at the plant in February.
“We found an issue. When we found that issue we immediately worked to try and rectify the problem and get a safe and secure environment,” Blow said.
Employees said they were shocked by the news and remain concerned about their health.
In March, inspectors with the Tennessee Occupational and Safety Administration (TOSHA) found employees overexposed to chromium and cited the plant for 20 serious violations.
Tenneco told NewsChannel5 it had doctors examine employees and tested to see if they were taking contaminated dust home to their families.
“The testing that we did on people leaving the plant did not show any elevated levels thankfully,” Blow said.
According to Blow, there have been no reports of medical issues, but some employees have experienced symptoms of chromium exposure such as nose bleeds and dermatitis.
Tenneco told NewsChannel 5 it will install a multi-million dollar ventilation system in the plant to remove the cancer causing welding fumes and is giving welders in affected areas respirators. However TOSHA has reportedly cited Tenneco because some respirators did not fit the employees who were trying to use them.
The Smithville Volunteer Fire Department was summoned to Tenneco early Thursday morning after a small fire began in the ventilation system. Small fires of this type often occur at industries locally. The building was evacuated and no one was injured.
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