Intown Granite & Quartz LLC, Kent: Washington L&I silica citation

Findings on silica dust

• The employer made no evaluation of how much respirable crystalline silica workers were exposed to. Using handheld tools, a fabricator had exposure levels of 109.38 µg/m3, more than double the 50 µg/m3 limit.
• Where silica exposure exceeded the limit, nothing was marked off as a regulated area, and exposed employees got no medical surveillance.
• No written plan for controlling silica exposure was in place, even though the overexposure occurred during routine daily work with water-integrated tools.
• Silica overexposure made respirators a requirement for these employees, yet they weren't fit-tested.

More hazards in this citation

• Noise exposure monitoring wasn't done by the employer. Full-shift exposures above 85 dBA TWA8 turned up later in Department dosimetry.
• Neither hearing conservation training nor annual audiometric testing was provided to three employees whose noise exposure topped 85 dBA.

The employer's time to answer the citation: The citation left the employer with duties: post it, fix every violation, and return the Employer Certification of Abatement. Payment was due within 15 working days unless it appealed. The window to appeal was 15 working days.

If Intown Granite & Quartz employed you

These days, most new silicosis cases in the US show up in quartz and engineered stone cutting shops. If your work at Intown Granite & Quartz in Kent involved cutting, grinding, or polishing slabs, you may qualify for two claims: workers' comp under the employer's policy, and a case against the companies that produced the stone.