OSHA has fined Continental Brick Co., of Martinsburg, WV, $131,972 for safety violations. Continental Brick Co. is accused of failing to provide PPE to its employees working around silica. OSHA further claims the company failed to implement adequate engineering and work practice controls, conduct scheduled monitoring, establish regulated decontamination areas or make a medical surveillance program available for employees exposed at or above the action level.
In a news release, OSHA Area Director Prentice Cline stated “Workers exposed to silica dust can lose their ability to work and to breathe. The agency determined that Continental Brick Company failed to provide and require employees to wear respirators when working in areas where there was an overexposure to respirable crystalline silica. The company must implement engineering and work practice controls and require appropriate respiratory protection to ensure workers are fully protected from this deadly hazard.”
Donald Sult, Vice President of Continental Brick Co., said “We participated in an informal conference with OSHA, and our discussions continue. Protecting the health and safety of our employees has been and continues to be a top priority at Continental Brick.”
Crystalline silica is a common mineral found in soil, sand, granite, concrete, rock, and many other materials. The airborne silica dust can easily be breathed in, causing a major health hazard for exposed workers. Inhaling the particles can cause silicosis (an incurable lung disease), lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and kidney disease.
Company could face more than $130K in fines after OSHA says it exposed workers to hazards
