OSHA Proposes More Than $1 Million in Penalties for Countertop Maker

OSHA has cited a Chicago countertop-making business for more than 30 violations of worker protection standards and has proposed over $1 million in penalties, the agency announced. Among the violations were exposures to levels of silica dust almost six times higher than the OSHA permissible exposure limit of 50 µg/m³ as an eight-hour time-weighted average.

Florenza Marble & Granite Corp. was also cited for the absence of engineering and administrative controls for silica dust, failing to have a respiratory protection program in place, housekeeping deficiencies, lacking a silica exposure control plan and a hazard communication program, and not training employees on the use of compressed air. According to an OSHA news release, the company’s citations include eight “egregious willful” violations, four willful violations, and 20 serious violations.

Workers at Florenza were tasked with cutting engineered and natural stone countertops. In recent years, outbreaks of silicosis among workers who perform these tasks have been identified in Israel, Spain, Australia, and the United States. Engineered stone can contain as much as 90 percent silica content. In July, a ban on engineered stone went into effect in Australia.

Florenza came to OSHA’s attention when the agency learned of a 31-year-old employee with accelerated silicosis who needed a double lung transplant. An inspection found that the employee’s 59-year-old father, who also worked at the company, was awaiting a silicosis-related lung transplant, and a 47-year-old coworker had been undergoing treatment for work-related lung disease for more than three years.

For more information, refer to the OSHA news release and its notification of penalties (PDF).