For years, Gopher Resource, a Tampa lead smelter, exposed hundreds of workers to dangerous levels of lead and other toxic chemicals. At times, the concentrations inside the factory were hundreds of times the federal limit and even considered life-threatening. Gopher knew there was too much toxic dust in its factory, but failed to fix mechanical problems that could have lowered workers’ exposure. The company also failed to provide adequate protective equipment to keep workers safe when poison levels spiked. Lead dust wasn’t confined to the factory; it also made it into the workers’ bodies.
