Countertop Manufacturer Hit with $1 Million in Penalties for Not Protecting Workers

CHICAGO –– The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has found that a manufacturer of countertops had “few controls in place to reduce silica exposure,” warranting a $1 million fine.

In a news release issued on Aug. 26, OSHA said that, upon inspection of the facility in question, it found Florenza Marble & Granite Corp. employees “laboring in a haze of dust throughout the workspace and workers using required respirators improperly.”

OSHA also “determined the company had few controls in place to reduce silica exposure as employees cut engineered and natural stone countertops for residential and commercial projects.”

The …