OSHA Cites Navy for Allegedly Injuring Civilians by Exposing Them to Hazardous Waste from Missile Systems. Lawsuits May Follow.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — OSHA has cited the Navy for exposing civilian workers at Mayport Naval Station to hazardous waste from a ship’s missile system.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, listed 10 serious violations of work-safety laws identified in a January inspection of the MK41 missile system on the USS Vicksburg, a guided-missile cruiser.

OSHA cited the Navy for a buildup of cadmium and lead around the missile launcher, and found that civilians working around the missile system also lacked safety training and medical testing to gauge their exposure to heavy metals.

Only the USS Vicksburg was inspected, but the Navy was given six weeks to correct similar conditions on any ship with the same missile launcher, said James Borders, from OSHA’s Jacksonville office.

The Navy will ask for a review of the violations in a meeting with OSHA, a spokesman said.

OSHA began investigating after a whistle-blower at Mayport Naval Station charged that people working around a missile-launching system on cruisers and destroyers weren’t properly trained or protected from the residue left behind by fired rockets.

Almost a quarter of the Navy’s ships use the MK41 system, which launches missiles from a series of canisters stored under a ship’s deck.

If you have been injured in this environment and want legal counsel call Clark & Watson for a free consultation regarding your legal rights.

Just because workers were on the ships does not mean that they necessarily are entitled to compensation. A maritime lawyer will have to analyze each claim to make a determination of the worker's legal rights.

Clark & Watson P.A. (Jacksonville, Florida Admiralty and Maritime Lawyers) can be contacted at http://www.lawboat.com or call (toll free) at 1-866-529-7447. Email: dwayne@lawboat.com