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The Michigan Occupational Health and Safety Administration (MIOSHA) plans to step up unannounced inspections of demolition sites around the state to ensure workers are protected against exposure to asbestos and other hazards, the Detroit Free Press reports.
Demolitions in the state are at an historic high, and Detroit has been involved in an aggressive campaign to knock down vacant properties.
The paper reports that the inspections, are in part, the result of its report in May, which found the state agency rarely clamps down on employers who expose workers to asbestos, a known carcinogen, writes Jennifer Dixon.
"As Michigan continues to eliminate blight and revitalize its neighborhoods, it’s especially important that the men and women working on these projects are protected from potential health hazards,” MIOSHA’s acting director, Bart Pickelman, says in a statement.
