OSHA Cites Watertown, Mass., Stone Products Company for Repeat Hazards

Texas & Nationwide Personal Injury News

U.S. Labor Department's OSHA Cites Watertown, Mass., Stone Products Company for Serious, Repeat Hazards and Failing to Correct Previous Hazards

Methuen, Mass. - The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Designer's Stone Co. of Watertown, Mass., for alleged repeat and serious safety and health violations and failing to correct hazards cited during a previous OSHA inspection. A total of $40,600 in fines is proposed.

The latest citations and fines result from an OSHA inspection opened Feb. 13 to verify correction of hazards cited by OSHA in August 2007. The follow-up inspection found that four of 17 cited conditions remained uncorrected. These included inadequate or incomplete hazard communication training for employees working with chemicals, flammables and silica produced during stone grinding; unlabeled containers of hazardous chemicals; ungrounded fans; and unmarked circuit breakers. These conditions resulted in the issuance of four failure-to-abate notices carrying $21,000 in fines.

Eight repeat citations, with $14,800 in fines, were issued for hazards similar to those cited in 2007. These citations encompass lack of eye protection; no annual fit-testing for respirators; unguarded rotating saw blades; unguarded grinders; electric tools used without ground fault circuit interrupters; exposed live electrical parts; extension cords used in place of fixed wiring; and failure to provide prompt access to employees of their records of exposure to silica.

Finally, six serious citations, with $4,800 in fines, were issued for lack of respirator training; water containers covered with silica dust; unmounted, discharged and/or uninspected fire extinguishers; unguarded saw blades; damaged power cords; and other electrical hazards. A serious citation is issued when death or serious physical harm is likely to result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

For the rest of this article please feel free to visit www.osha.gov.