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OSHA Fines
Stone Fabricator for Failing to Correct Previously
Cited Health and Safety Hazards
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) has proposed an additional $39,200 in fines
against a North Attleboro, Mass., stone fabricator for allegedly
failing to correct health and safety hazards cited in a previous
OSHA inspection.
OSHA first
cited Mountain Marble and Granite in February of this year for
six serious violations of health and safety standards, and fined
the company $5,200. OSHA's inspection was prompted by an October
2006 accident at the 45 Elm St. facility in which an employee's
finger was crushed between two pieces of granite.
The company
paid the original fine but did not provide OSHA with proof that
the hazards had been corrected. This situation led to follow-up
inspections in June during which OSHA found several hazards still
outstanding. As a result, OSHA has now cited Mountain Marble
and Granite for five instances of failing to abate previously
cited hazards and proposed the additional fines.
The outstanding
hazards encompass lack of respiratory protection and hazard communication
programs for employees exposed to silica and other hazardous
substances while grinding, cutting and polishing stone slabs;
untrained forklift operators; a forklift that was improperly
modified to lift stone slabs; and unguarded cutting wheels on
a stone grinder.
"The
ongoing failure to fix these hazards leaves employees continually
exposed to potential lung disease, crushing hazards, lacerations
and amputations," said Robert Hooper, OSHA's acting area
director for southeastern Massachusetts. "It should not
take escalating fines and the potential for additional injuries
and illnesses to prompt this employer to provide and maintain
essential and legally required safeguards for its employees."
Mountain
Marble and Granite has 15 business days to respond by requesting
and participating in an informal conference with OSHA's area
director or contesting the failure to abate notices and fines
to the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
The inspections were conducted by OSHA's Braintree Area Office,
telephone (617) 565-6924.
Source: OSHA News Release 7/31/07
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