Winona State University faces a proposed fine of $24,500 for seven serious workplace safety violations related to asbestos removal from dormitories and other campus locations this year.

The university repaired or replaced insulation without taking the necessary precautions to protect workers from asbestos, according to the complaint from the state Occupational Safety and Health Division.

James Honerman, an OSHA spokesman, said he could not provide any details about the citations, which the university received last month, because Winona State has contested the allegations and the matter has not been resolved.

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Cristeen Custer, assistant vice president of marketing and communications at Winona State, said the university is cooperating with OSHA. “We take it seriously, and we do believe that we’ll come to a very positive result with our discussions with OSHA,” she said.

When asked whether students may have been exposed to asbestos during any of the repair work, Custer said: “Obviously student safety is of critical importance to us and we would never jeopardize or take liberties with student or worker health. If there was a concern we would have alerted students.”

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