DiPirro v. Hilti, Inc., et al.

The Alameda County Superior Court entered a Consent Judgment in DiPirro v. Hilti, Inc. on December 28, 2001. This enforcement action resolved the allegations of citizen enforcer Michael DiPirro that defendant Hilti, Inc. distributed, rented, and/or sold power tools and other equipment whose customary use and application is likely to expose users to lead, crystalline silica, arsenic and/or chromium in the State of California without providing the requisite health hazard warnings.

As part of the settlement, Hilti agreed to initiate revisions to its health hazard warnings for its products to provide the language set forth in Section 1.1 of the Agreement, and that it will not knowingly sell (or cause to be sold) any products that are likely to expose users to lead, crystalline silica, arsenic and/or chromium, unless the products contain the agreed upon warning language.

The Consent Judgment requires settlement payments of $26,500, divided between civil penalties, 75% of which are paid to California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, and compensation to whistleblower DiPirro and his counsel for their successful enforcement of this matter in the public interest.