The U.S. Department of Energy levied a $200,000 fine against Lawrence Livermore National Security, the company that manages Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, for lapses in protecting workers from exposure to a toxic metal. In 2007, 2008 and 2010, lab workers were exposed to beryllium, a lightweight metal used in nuclear weapons development that is considered a human carcinogen. Government investigations found the exposures were caused by workers not wearing protective gear while handling equipment contaminated with beryllium dust. A 2008 report found lapses in the lab’s beryllium worker-protection program.