Stone Atlanta Countertops Inc., Cartersville: OSHA silica citation

Inspection reason: A follow-up inspection. Earlier investigations had found silica-related violations, and the employer didn't fix them.

Silica dust: the findings

• Respirable crystalline silica was in the air the workers breathed.
• For silica, the employer lacked a written plan to control exposure.
• The employer didn't have a written respiratory protection program.
• Earlier investigations had found silica problems, and they had not been fixed.

More hazards in this citation

• Noise was present around the workers.
• For hazardous materials, the employer lacked a written hazard communication program.

The employer's time to answer the citation: Once the citations and penalties arrived, the employer had 15 working days to act. The options were to comply, to request an informal meeting with OSHA's area director, or to contest the findings. Any contest would be heard by an independent body, the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

For anyone who worked at Stone Atlanta Countertops

In the US, most new silicosis cases now involve shops cutting quartz and other engineered stone. Did you work at Stone Atlanta Countertops in Cartersville? If your job there included cutting, grinding, or polishing slabs, two claims may be open to you. One is workers' comp through the employer's insurer; the other is a lawsuit against the companies that produced the stone.