Absolute Marble & Granite LLC, Auburn: Washington L&I silica citation

Findings on silica dust

• Samples were taken from three shop workers during quartz polishing, grinding and cutting. All three exceeded the legal limit for respirable crystalline silica exposure.
• Before working with silica, workers got no training on its hazards.
• The employer didn't check whether workers' silica exposure was at or above the action level.
• The respirator protection for silica was not adequate. No fit-testing was done and no respirator training was given. The written program was incomplete, and workers wore tight-fitting masks over facial hair.

More hazards from this citation

• Maintenance was poor, and the respirators were dirty. Silica dust was inside one mask, its straps were worn, and its dirty cartridges weren't changed often enough.
• Respirators weren't put away in a way that kept them safe from damage and contamination.
• No penalty came with the seven general violations that were cited.

The employer's time to answer the citation: Once cited, the employer had to post the citation, fix every violation, and send back the Employer Certification of Abatement. The employer could appeal for 15 working days, and money was owed 15 working days after receipt.

Were you an Absolute Marble & Granite worker?

New silicosis cases in the US now mostly trace to shops cutting quartz or other engineered stone. Two routes may be open to you if your work at Absolute Marble & Granite in Auburn involved cutting, grinding, or polishing slabs: workers' comp through the employer's insurer, and a suit against the stone's manufacturers.