A U-Haul dealer in East Spokane has been issued $231,000 in fines by Washington State Department of Labor & Industries for knowingly exposing workers to asbestos.

U-Haul Co. of Washington purchased the former K-Mart building, at 4110 E. Sprague, in 2019 and began renovations without getting the nearly 60-year-old building tested for asbestos, an L&I press release states.

Later, an investigation by the Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency revealed that all of the nearly 90,000 square feet of vinyl floor tiles and glue contained asbestos, which can cause fatal diseases like asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer.

The Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency cited and fined U-Haul then and advised the business on how to proceed safely with the renovation.

According to L&I, the U-Haul company coated some of the tiles with epoxy and had others removed by a certified asbestos company. About 7,400 square feet of tiles remained, however, when the service center opened in March 2023.

Mechanics at the facility informed L&I inspectors that the tiles began popping up due to the use of jack stands and the weight of the vehicles on the flooring. The workers were instructed by management to throw the tiles away in a regular trash container.

The workers threw away 200-300 square feet of tiles without knowing they were handling asbestos.

Workers in other areas of the building used shovels, putty knives, and a torch to remove the tiles, according to L&I. They didn't wear respirators or other personal protective equipment, besides disposable gloves and safety glasses, which aren’t protective enough for that type of job.

“Not only did U-Haul management know this dangerous practice was happening, they encouraged it,” says Craig Blackwood, assistant director for L&I’s Division of Occupational Safety & Health.

The same U-Haul business owner had previously been issued citations and fines in 2019 after employees used demolition equipment to remove flooring containing asbestos from a K-Mart building it purchased in Santa Barbara, California, according to L&I.