Stone manufacturer fined $120,000 for silica exposure

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration said a stone product manufacturer in Georgia will pay $120,000 in penalties for exposing workers to respirable crystalline silica.

OSHA said an April 2024 inspection at Art Stone-Granite & Marble Inc. in Marietta determined that the company failed to provide workers with respiratory and hearing protection.

Five months later, the agency cited the company for two repeat violations and 13 serious violations for not fixing problems identified during the April 2024 inspection.

In addition to paying the $120,000 fine, the company agreed to provide workers with respirators to protect against exposure to respirable crystalline silica and hearing protection for the noise of cutting stone slabs.

OSHA in 2020 launched a National Emphasis Program to reduce or eliminate occupational exposure to crystalline silica, which can cause silicosis, an incurable and sometimes fatal lung disease, as well as cancer, obstructive pulmonary disease and kidney disease.

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