OSHA Inspection: EAST COAST TILE & STONE LLC

Issued

Nov 9, 2005

Abate by

Nov 15, 2005

Penalty

Initial $2,000 · Current $1,300 Reduced

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:  The
employer did not furnish employment
and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that
were causing or likely to cause
death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed
to the hazard of being crushed by
natural stone slabs during the manual handling of the slabs:
OR IN THE ALTERNATIVE:
29 CFR 1910.176(b): Materials were not stored in a manner to prevent the
creation of the hazard of sliding or
collapse:
a. Yard -  On October 19, 2005 and at time prior thereto, employees were
exposed to the hazard of
being crushed by sheets of marble while manually handling slabs stored in
"A" frame racks for the
purpose of showing clients the color of the slabs.
Among other methods, feasible and acceptable abatement methods to correct
this
hazard is to:
(1) Institute and enforce a policy in which employees are prohibited from
standing in the
danger zone of unstable and/or hand-supported stone slabs.
(2) Support the slabs with heavy nylon straps wrapped around the entire
"A" frame rack until
the slab is securely supported with the mechanical lifting device.
(3) Increase the distance between racks to account for the size of the
slabs held in the rack
and consider using a pneumatic slab lifting device to support and/or lift
slabs, eliminating the need for employees to hold them while standing in
the danger zone.
No abatement certification or documentation required.