Dave Sylvain, an industrial hygienist with the National
Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, will be inspecting the
plant on North Street today through Thursday, NIOSH spokesman Fred
Blosser said.
The factory, formerly owned by IBM Corp., assembles printed
circuit boards and employs about 1,800 workers. A group of local
investors formed EI and purchased the company in 2002.
Previous working conditions at the factory became an issue in
January when former IBM workers told U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey,
D-Saugerties, that IBM had routinely flouted safety measures at the
expense of workers. The charges came in a forum organized by Hinchey
on issues related to chemical exposure.
IBM spokesman Todd Martin did not return calls Monday. In the
past, he has said that IBM meets and exceeds all regulatory safety
guidelines. Since November 2002, the 4.1-million-square-foot plant
has been owned by Huron Real Estate, whose owners include the
Endicott Interconnect investors.
EI President and Chief Executive James McNamara Jr. did not
return a call seeking comment.
NIOSH is part of the federal Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, and makes recommendations to businesses and employees
about vocational health concerns and problems, Blosser said. It is
not a regulatory or enforcement agency like the federal Occupational
Safety and Health Administration, which is part of the Department of
Labor.
James Little, who spoke out at the Hinchey forum, said he was one
of five people who asked NIOSH to evaluate conditions at EI.
He said he has worked at the plant for 15 years, starting with
IBM and continuing with EI.
EI has made some improvements and upgrades to machinery to
improve safety, he said. But risks from chemical exposure in
Building 18 continue to be a concern.
"We want to make sure everything is safe, and NIOSH will help us
do that," he said.
Arthur Tulloch, who worked at the plant for five years, was
another who requested the NIOSH review. He said chemical leaks in
Building 18 and lack of ventilation were his main concerns. He was
fired by EI earlier this month.
NIOSH acts on all requests from unions, management or at least
three workers, Blosser said. Nationally, it conducts about 400
investigations a year. Many are handled through a review of records.
About a quarter of them involve visits to the site, such as the
one scheduled for EI, he said.
NIOSH looks for "practical ways" to address safety concerns,
Blosser said. That might include reporting findings to OSHA if
necessary. It commonly involves making recommendations to improve
conditions.
He characterized the tour of EI as "not unusual."
The agency is "set up to look at complex and difficult and
emerging problems in the workplace, where there may not be OSHA
standards," Blosser said.
The investigation this week will include a meeting with managers,
a tour of the plant and private interviews with some workers,
according to correspondence from Sylvain to Little.
Rick White, a former EI worker and member of Alliance@IBM, said
many workers will be afraid to speak candidly for fear of losing
their jobs. The company fired a number of workers this month.
Members of the alliance -- a division of the Communications Workers
of America -- say the number was about 60.
"EI inherited all the good things and all the bad things from
that facility."
![[ photo ]](pressconnects_com 04-27-04 News Story_files/ne042704s84822p1.jpg)