Bridge probe dead in the water - By Sean Holstege and Jill Tucker, Daily Review Online, CA
In one case, nearly 50 welders sued KFM and welding rod manufacturers alleging they over-exposed workers to dangerous chemicals, including manganese fumes. A byproduct of welding, manganese fumes are suspected of causing respiratory illness and impaired mental aptitude.
Some workers have reported shortness of breath and a set of pneumonia-like symptoms they called the 'KFM flu,' which they said afflicted workers in the summer of 2003.
When they complained the firm wasn't providing proper safety equipment, Kiewit retaliated against them by laying off 'the troublemakers,' the workers testified under oath in a labor dispute. An arbitrator ruled in the case that Kiewit's layoff was fair.
In the second suit, workers alleged two KFM managers harmed them by lobbing fireworks into the confined submarine metal chambers where they worked from June 30, 2003 through April 2004. The four workers say they suffered ear injuries and emotional distress.