A rail equipment manufacturer has been cited and is facing $105,000 in proposed penalties from federal workplace safety regulators for exposing employees to unsafe levels of cancer-causing chemicals.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited New York City-based Alstom Transportation Inc., a subsidiary of Alstom S.A., Saint-Ouen, France, for 17 serious violations after an inspection of its Hornell, New York, facility, the agency said Wednesday in a statement.

OSHA found that the manufacturer exposed employees to cadmium, lead, nickel and silica beyond permissible exposure limits and failed to provide changing and shower areas to employees who worked with cadmium and lead, significantly increasing the likelihood of contamination outside the immediate work area and causing exposure to the chemicals while eating or drinking. The company also failed to provide employees exposed to lead and cadmium with required medical surveillance and allowed chromium, copper fume, iron oxide and silica exposure among employees in sandblasting and welding operations to exceed permissible exposure limits, according to the agency.

Inspectors found Alstom failed to ensure workers cleaned or removed lead-contaminated protective equipment before entering eating areas, while poor housekeeping caused contamination from silica residue and left dining tables contaminated with lead. OSHA also cited the company for violations related to noise, respiratory combustible materials, operating machine, welding, electrical and blood borne pathogen hazards.

“Employers who work with hazardous materials like these need to first determine if the materials can be removed by replacing them with something less hazardous,” Chris Adams, Syracuse, New York, OSHA area director, said in the statement. “If not, employers must use the correct ventilation to reduce airborne exposure levels to below the OSHA limits. These hazards are preventable when employers ensure safety guidelines are followed.”

A company spokesperson could not be immediately reached for comment.