BALDWIN, IL -- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited U.S. Minerals LLC of Dyer, IN, for "willfully" exposing its workers to dangerously high levels of hazardous dust and not providing adequate breathing protection at its Baldwin facility.

U.S. Minerals, which manufactures abrasive blasting and roofing materials from slag produced at coal-fired power plants, has been issued a total of 35 health and safety citations with proposed penalties of $466,400.

"U.S. Minerals has severely jeopardized the health of its workers by exposing them to extremely high levels of dust containing silica," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Dr. David Michaels. "Even with employees covered head to toe in dust, the company still failed to provide breathing protection and other controls."

As a result of this inspection, OSHA has opened inspections of additional U.S. Minerals facilities in Coffeen, IL, Harvey, LA, and Galveston, TX.

Read the Occupational Safety & Health Administration's press release.