Greenville Ready Mix Concrete Products Inc.: OSHA silica citation

Inspection reason: Worker fatality: a cement truck drum began turning while a worker was repairing it, and the head injuries he suffered were fatal.

Findings on silica dust

• Workers were exposed to silica dust by the company.

More hazards in this citation

• There was no lockout/tagout training, no periodic checks of procedures, and no program of lockout/tagout to prevent the cement truck drum from turning during service or maintenance.
• The company failed to check the workplace for permit-required confined spaces, like the inside of a cement truck drum.
• On cement truck platforms, the company gave no fall protection and didn't make sure it was used. It also exposed workers to rotating drums and augers.

The employer's time to answer the citation: Once the citations and penalties arrived, the company had 15 working days to act. It could comply, ask OSHA's area director for an informal conference, or contest the findings in front of the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

For anyone who worked at Greenville Ready Mix Concrete Products

Silica dust is thrown off when concrete, block and masonry are cut, mixed, and finished. If Greenville Ready Mix Concrete Products in Smithfield was your employer, a silicosis claim usually begins with workers' comp, and a lawyer can see if the company that made the product or equipment can be sued too.