Worker death at Alabama countertop company results in $29K fine

The U.S. Department of Labor is proposing $29,035 in fines following an Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s investigation into the death of a worker at a Huntsville, Alabama, countertop installation company in March.

OSHA investigators determined that employees of Huntsville Granite and Marble LLC were using a forklift to take stone slabs off a storage rack when the slab became unsecured and struck the worker. OSHA found that an improperly secured load and a damaged rigging hook with a missing safety latch contributed to the incident, according to a statement issued Thursday.

As a result, OSHA issued five serious citations to Huntsville Granite and Marble for violations related to its failures to protect workers from struck-by, crushed-by and fall hazards.