The JTEKT/Koyo Bearings automotive bearing manufacturing plant in Dodworth, South Yorkshire, UK, has been fined £20,000, after pleading guilty to exposing all 380 employees in the plant to excessive levels of airborne chemicals.

UK Health and Safety Executive officials went on record, calling the situation, "shocking," and noted it was the second-largest exposure of its kind ever in the UK.

In addition to a £20,000 fine, the magistrate hit Koyo with £15,800 in costs.

HSE Prosecutions Case details : 4165558
The exposure occurred from late 2007 through mid-2008. It was caused by water-based coolant/cutting oil, being sprayed on the workpieces of more than 100 machining centers. That water-based lubricant turned into a mist when it hit the high-speed tooling, but Koyo had installed no filtering or air handling equipment to control the mist or pull it away from the work areas. Also, inspectors said Koyo workers had received inadequate hazardous materials training.

Without establishing a relationship, the court hearing the case said 15 Koyo workers had reported 15 cases of occupational asthma and/or extrinsic allergic alveolitis, both of which can reportedly cause lung damage, and/or develop into emphysema.

Mark Welsh, the lead Health and Safety inspector, said, "This shows the working practices at Koyo Bearings were inadequate and dangerous. We found that a combination of employees breathing in metal working fluid mist, along with no filter system and inadequate training, resulted in the entire workforce at being put at risk."

Koyo's Dodworth plant manufactures single row ball bearings, tapered roller bearings, water pump bearings, dual angular contact, 5251R9N7, and wheel bearing hub assembly units, primarily for the automotive market.