Brazilian Stone Design LLC, a Powder Springs, Georgia, stone countertop manufacturer, faces $33,000 in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines for exposing workers to respirable crystalline silica, the agency announced July 10.
OSHA cited the employer, which fabricates and sells kitchen and bathroom countertops, with seven serious violations. According to the agency, the employer allegedly exposed workers to high airborne concentrations of respirable crystalline silica and failed to conduct air monitoring, require the use of respirators, perform fit testing and training for workers wearing respirators, and administer an effective hearing conservation program.
OSHA has two standards for respirable crystalline silica—one for construction and another for general industry and maritime workplaces.
OSHA also announced on July 10 that it cited Keystone Foods LLC for allegedly failing to protect employees against fire and explosion hazards at its Camilla, Georgia, poultry plant. Keystone is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tyson Foods Inc., according to the agency.
The employer was cited with a serious violation under the Occupational Safety and Health Act’s General Duty Clause and faces proposed penalties of $16,550. The agency determined that on December 26, 2024, two workers at the plant were seriously burned when a hose filled with oil ruptured, igniting the oil mist and causing a fire and an explosion in the boiler room. Inspectors concluded Keystone Foods didn’t ensure workers followed proper internal procedures or the manufacturer’s guidelines when conducting maintenance on its boiler pump.
California, Oregon caution employers on heat stress hazards
With rising temperatures in the West, this week, California and Oregon cautioned employers in their states to protect their employees from heat stress hazards. Both states have heat illness prevention standards, but there’s no federal OSHA heat stress standard.
On July 8, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) reminded employers to protect workers from heat illness in both outdoor and indoor workplaces, as high temperatures are forecast across California this week.
Temperatures are expected to reach 92 to 117 degrees Fahrenheit in several areas of the state, including Bakersfield, Fresno, Modesto, Riverside, and Sacramento, over the coming days.
California employers must take steps to protect workers from heat illness in indoor workplaces where the temperature reaches 82 degrees. For outdoor worksites, the law requires employers to provide outdoor workers fresh water, access to shade (which must be in place when temperatures are 80 degrees or higher), and cooldown rest breaks in addition to regular breaks.
Requirements of Cal/OSHA’s Heat Illness Prevention in Indoor Places of Employment standard include providing water, rest, cooldown areas, and training. The regulation applies to most indoor workplaces, such as manufacturing facilities, restaurants, and warehouses.
On July 10, the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division (Oregon OSHA) reminded employers to follow the state’s requirements for protecting workers from the hazards of extreme heat. Under Oregon’s heat illness prevention rule, employers must implement protective measures, including providing adequate water, rest, shade, acclimatization schedules (gradual adaptation to working in the heat), communication and training, and emergency plans.
The Oregon rule applies to workplaces where employees are working when the heat index equals or exceeds 80 degrees. More requirements of the rule apply when the heat index exceeds 90 degrees.