Henry Brick Co. Inc., a Selma, Alabama, brick manufacturer, faces $124,212 in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) penalties for exposing employees to respirable crystalline silica, the agency announced February 27.
Exposure to crystalline silica can lead to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, kidney disease, and lung cancer. OSHA cited Henry Brick Co. with 11 serious violations, and investigators found the employer:
- Exposed workers to airborne concentrations of respirable crystalline silica of up to six-and-a-half times the permissible exposure level (PEL);
- Failed to evaluate and implement engineering controls and work practices to reduce and maintain employee exposure to respirable crystalline silica at or below the PEL;
- Failed to provide effective training on crystalline silica hazards to employees exposed over the PEL;
- Neglected to offer free medical surveillance, at a reasonable time and place, to employees exposed to respirable crystalline silica above the action level for 30 or more days per year;
- Required employees to wear respirators without first providing required training;
- Neglected to fit test or provide medical evaluation for workers required to wear respirators; and
- Allowed employees to work in areas that required respirators without providing a respiratory protection program that met requirements.
Last year, OSHA revealed its respiratory protection standard (29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) §1910.134) is its seventh most cited standard, cited 2,481 times in fiscal year (FY) 2023. The respiratory protection standard contains requirements for a written program, medical evaluation to determine whether employees can safely wear respirators, initial and annual respirator fit testing, and training on donning, doffing, and using respirators.
OSHA has an ongoing National Emphasis Program (NEP) enforcing the respirable crystalline silica standard, which targets dozens of industries.
“Crystalline silica can be deadly. Workers who are overexposed to it can contract incurable, progressively disabling and sometimes fatal illnesses. This is why employers must take every precaution to protect employees from this danger,” Jose Gonzalez, OSHA’s Mobile, Alabama, area office director, said in a statement. “Employers with questions about how to develop respiratory protection programs can contact our trained professionals for assistance.”
Electrical contractor cited after worker suffers burns
Smith’s Electrical Service & Repair LLC, a Camp Hill, Alabama, electrical contractor, faces $93,566 in OSHA penalties after a 22-year-old electrician suffered life-threatening arc flash burns, the agency announced February 28.
OSHA investigators found that on September 26, 2023, a Smith’s Electrical Service & Repair employee at an Auburn, Alabama, worksite was guiding wires through an electrical cabinet when the ground wires hit live components, resulting in an arc flash that caused severe burns to the worker, requiring hospitalization.
The agency cited the employer with a willful violation for requiring employees to feed wires through electrical cabinets that weren’t de-energized, which exposed them to shock and burn hazards. It also cited Smith’s Electrical Service & Repair with three serious violations for failing to train workers in recognizing hazards, permitting employees to work on live electrical cabinets without training in safe electrical work practices, and allowing workers to conduct work tasks without proper protective equipment.
“The employer unnecessarily exposed workers to the hazards created when working with energized, electrical cabinets. Their actions tragically resulted in a worker suffering burn injuries that may require life-long attention and care,” Gonzalez said.