Spokane U-Haul Fined $231,000 for Worker Asbestos Exposure

U-Haul of Spokane is facing a hefty fine of $231,000 after it was discovered the company exposed its workers to deadly asbestos while renovating a former K-Mart building.

U-Haul Faces $231,000 Fine for Exposing Workers to Asbestos in Spokane Facility

The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) issued the fine after an investigation that revealed unsafe work practices and a failure to follow asbestos safety protocols. They released the details in a press release this morning.

In 2019, U-Haul purchased the building after it had been vacant for years, but it began renovations without first testing for asbestos. The building is nearly 90,000 square feet and had vinyl floor tiles and adhesives containing asbestos, a highly toxic substance that poses severe health risks like lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma.

It went unnoticed until the Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency (SRCAA) conducted an investigation during the renovation where all of the floor tiles were found to contain asbestos. The SRCAA fined U-Haul and made them follow proper safety guidelines when they continued the renovation. Issues persisted when the Spokane service center opened in March 2023 even after the warnings.

Mechanics working in the facility began noticing that the vinyl tiles were coming loose shortly after the center’s opening. The heavy vehicles and the use of jack stands caused the tiles to peel up and expose workers to the harmful substance below. Management then instructed the workers to dispose of the tiles in regular trash, unaware they were made from asbestos. Employees threw away 200-300 square feet of the hazardous material and were unaware of the serious health implications.

Workers in other areas of the building used putty knives, shovels, and torches to remove the tiles but were not provided with adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) like respirators. Also, none of them had the required training or certification to safely remove asbestos. The only protective gear they were given were disposable gloves and safety glasses, insufficient for handling toxic materials.

L&I’s assistant director, Craig Blackwood, condemned U-Haul’s actions, accusing the company of knowingly allowing and even encouraging unsafe practices that jeopardized their workers’ health. This wasn’t the first time U-Haul had faced issues with asbestos. In 2019, the same franchise owner was fined by California OSHA after workers were found using demolition equipment to remove asbestos flooring from a K-Mart building in Santa Barbara County.

In late 2024, L&I issued a citation for 16 serious asbestos-related violations, saying the company had knowledge of the risks but failed to act accordingly. These violations included the failure to employ certified workers for the tile removal and a lack of communication with workers about the presence of asbestos.