Tech Firm Accused of Arsenic Exposure

Cal/OSHA, the state worker safety watchdog agency, fined Fremont-based American Xtal Technology Inc. $313,655 for 42 alleged violations of California workplace safety and health regulations, including the alleged exposure of up to 50 employees to arsenic, which can cause cancer. The fines against the semiconductor firm mark the first time Cal/OSHA has assessed new higher penalties allowed under a law that went into effect Jan. 1. Three of the citations were classified as “willful,” which means the company allegedly knew it was violating the law. The penalties stemmed from a Feb. 4 inspection of the company’s Fremont factory, during which arsenic dust was found in work areas, according to a spokesman for the California Department of Industrial Relations, which oversees the Division of Occupational Safety and Health, as Cal/OSHA is formally known. Parts of the factory were shut down for several days until corrections were made. American Xtal uses gallium arsenide to produce thin wafers for computer components. A lawyer for American Xtal said the citations, which will be appealed, contained errors and that the fines were excessive. The company is cooperating with Cal/OSHA and “remains firmly committed to maintaining a safe workplace,” he said. Cal/OSHA said its investigation is continuing.