Marlborough, Mass., granite fabricators ASI Industries and Atlantic Stone Industries LLC have been fined a total of $106,100 by Occupational Safety and
Marlborough, Mass., granite fabricators ASI Industries and Atlantic Stone Industries LLC have been fined a total of $106,100 by Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Region 1, Boston, for 14 instances of failing to correct hazards cited after 2004 inspections, plus nine new alleged safety and health violations. The companies were first cited by OSHA in September 2004 for safety and health standard violations; follow-up inspections starting in May 2005 found uncorrected hazards.
Among ASI’s uncorrected hazards were: employees overexposed to respirable silica dust and lack of engineering controls to reduce exposure levels; lack of a respiratory protection program and training; no training on noise hazards; unguarded saws and sanders; excess air pressure for a cleaning hose; and electrical hazards. ASI also received one serious citation for improper respirator selection. The company faces $77,000 in fines. An additional inspection OSHA opened on Oct. 3 in response to a fatality caused by a falling slab continues at ASI.
Atlantic Stone Industries received a failure to abate citation for not providing forklift operators with safety training. The company also received two repeat citations for employees exposed to being thrown off a forklift and unsafe storage of oxygen cylinders. Six serious citations were issued for unguarded pits and floor openings; no hearing conservation program; improperly secured loads; unguarded saws; an unguarded flywheel, and no strain relief for a power cord. Penalties of $29,100 have been proposed.
The ASI and Atlantic Stone cases follow OSHA/Region 1’s proposal of $58,500 in fines for another Boston area countertop fabricator, Rozetti Marble & Granite LLC, last fall. The fines covered failure to correct such conditions as exposure of employees to excess silica levels and lack of engineering controls to reduce those levels; absence of written respiratory protection and hazard communication programs; failure to institute a hearing conservation program and provide hearing protection for employees exposed to excess noise levels; misuse of unguarded grinders; and, use of untrained employees to operate forklifts.