OSHA Inspection: GLOBAL GRANITE LLC

Issued

Sep 9, 2025

Abate by

Dec 1, 2025

Penalty

Initial $2,838 · Current $1,419 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.134(c)(1): A written respiratory protection program that included the provisions in 29 CFR 1910.134(c)(1)(i) - (ix) with worksite specific procedures was not established and implemented for required respirator use:   a) 1500 Uhler Road, Easton PA (Facility) - On or about March 14, 2025, the employer provided and required employees to wear N95 respirators during stone countertop fabrication and the employer did not establish and implement a written respiratory protection program in accordance with this section.

Issued

Sep 9, 2025

Abate by

Dec 1, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.134(e)(1): The employer did not provide a medical evaluation to determine the employee's ability to use a respirator, before the employee was fit tested or required to use the respirator in the workplace:  a) 1500 Uhler Road, Easton PA (Facility) - On or about March 14, 2025, the employer provided and required employees to wear N95 respirators during stone countertop fabrication and the employer did not provide a medical evaluation to ensure employee's ability to use a respirator in accordance with this section.

Issued

Sep 9, 2025

Abate by

Dec 1, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.134(f)(2): Employee(s) using tight-fitting facepiece respirators were not fit tested prior to initial use of the respirator:  a) 1500 Uhler Road, Easton PA (Facility) - On or about March 14, 2025, the employer provided and required employees to wear N95 respirators during stone countertop fabrication and the employer did not fit-test employees prior to initial use in accordance with this section.

Issued

Sep 9, 2025

Abate by

Dec 1, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.134(k): The employer did not provide comprehensive, understandable training on respirators, which did not occur annually and/or more often if necessary:   a) 1500 Uhler Road, Easton PA (Facility) - On or about March 14, 2025, the employer provided and required employees to wear N95 respirators during stone countertop fabrication and the employer did not provide training on respirators in accordance with this section.

Issued

Sep 9, 2025

Abate by

Mar 31, 2026

Penalty

Initial $3,972 · Current $1,986 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1053(c): The employer did not ensure that no employee was exposed to an airborne concentration of respirable crystalline silica in excess of 50 µg/m3, calculated as an 8-hour TWA:   a) 1500 Uhler Road, Easton PA (Facility) - An employee, performing stone countertop fabrication was exposed to an 8 hour time-weighted average (TWA) of 150 µg/m3 of respirable crystalline silica. This level is 3.0 times the permissible exposure limit of 50 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3) of air. This exposure occurred over a 389 minute sampling period on or about April 28, 2025. A zero exposure is assumed for the 91 minutes not sampled.

Issued

Sep 9, 2025

Abate by

Dec 1, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1053(e)(1): The employer did not establish a regulated area wherever an employee's exposure to airborne concentrations of respirable crystalline silica was, or could have been reasonably expected to be, in excess of the PEL:    a) 1500 Uhler Road, Easton PA (Facility) - An employee, performing stone countertop fabrication was exposed to an 8 hour time-weighted average (TWA) of 150 µg/m3 of respirable crystalline silica. This level is 3.0 times the permissible exposure limit of 50 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3) of air. This exposure occurred over a 389 minute sampling period on or about April 28, 2025. A zero exposure is assumed for the 91 minutes not sampled. The employer did not establish a regulated area in accordance with this section.

Issued

Sep 9, 2025

Abate by

Mar 31, 2026

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1053(f)(1): The employer did not use engineering and work practice controls to reduce and maintain employee exposure to respirable crystalline silica to or below the PEL, unless the employer can demonstrate that such controls are not feasible:   a) 1500 Uhler Road, Easton PA (Facility) - An employee, performing stone countertop fabrication was exposed to an 8 hour time-weighted average (TWA) of 150 µg/m3 of respirable crystalline silica. This level is 3.0 times the permissible exposure limit of 50 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3) of air. This exposure occurred over a 389 minute sampling period on or about April 28, 2025. A zero exposure is assumed for the 91 minutes not sampled. The employer did not implement engineering and work practice controls in accordance with this section.  Feasible abatement methods include but are not limited to:  1) Utilize a fresh water system and ensure all stone fabrication operations involving cutting, grinding and polishing of both natural stone and engineered stone containing silica are done wet. 2) Implement a job rotation to minimize exposure time.  ABATEMENT STEPS ARE AS FOLLOW:  STEP 1 - A written detailed plan of abatement shall be submitted to the Area Director outlining a schedule for the implementation of engineering and/or administrative measures to control employee exposures hazardous substances as referenced in this citation. This plan shall include, at a minimum, target dates for the following actions which must be consistent with the dates required by this citation:  1.  Evaluation of engineering control options;  2.  Selection of optimum control method and completion of design;  3.  Procurement, installation and operation of selected control measures;  4.  Testing and acceptance or modification/redesign of controls.  Note: All proposed control measures shall be approved for each particular use by a competent industrial hygienist or other technically qualified person.  Ninety (90) day progress reports are required during the abatement period. (The 90 day requirement can be shortened or lengthened by the area director depending on the specific circumstances.)  STEP 2- Abatement shall have been completed by the implementation of feasible engineering and/or administrative controls upon verification of their effectiveness in achieving compliance.

Issued

Sep 9, 2025

Abate by

Dec 1, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1053(f)(2)(i):The employer did not establish and implement a written exposure control plan:  a) 1500 Uhler Road, Easton PA (Facility) - An employee, performing stone countertop fabrication was exposed to an 8 hour time-weighted average (TWA) of 150 µg/m3 of respirable crystalline silica. This level is 3.0 times the permissible exposure limit of 50 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3) of air. This exposure occurred over a 389 minute sampling period on or about April 28, 2025. A zero exposure is assumed for the 91 minutes not sampled. The employer did not establish and implement a written exposure control plan for silica in accordance with this section.

Issued

Sep 9, 2025

Abate by

Dec 1, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1053(j)(1): The employer did not include respirable crystalline silica in the program established to comply with the hazard communication standard (HCS) (29 CFR 1910.1200):    a) 1500 Uhler Road, Easton PA (Facility) - On or about March 14, 2025, the employer did not have respirable silica in a program that would comply with the hazard communication standard affecting employees exposed to silica hazards.

Issued

Sep 9, 2025

Abate by

Oct 3, 2025

Penalty

Initial $2,838 · Current $1,419 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1053(d)(1): The employer did not assess the exposure of each employee who was or may reasonably be expected to be exposed to respirable crystalline silica at or above the action level in accordance with either the performance option in paragraph (d)(2) or the scheduled monitoring option in paragraph (d)(3) of this section:   a) 1500 Uhler Road, Easton PA (Facility) - On or about March 14, 2025, employees were exposed to respirable crystalline silica above the action level while performing stone fabrication duties and the employer had not conducted initial monitoring to determine employee exposure in accordance with this section.

Issued

Sep 9, 2025

Abate by

Mar 31, 2026

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1053(i)(1)(i): The employer did not make medical surveillance available at no cost to each employee, and at a reasonable time and place, for each employee who has been occupationally exposed to respirable crystalline silica at or above the action level for 30 or more days per year:   a) 1500 Uhler Road, Easton PA (Facility) - An employee, performing stone countertop fabrication was exposed to an 8 hour time-weighted average (TWA) of 150 µg/m3 of respirable crystalline silica. This exposure exceeded the action level of 25 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3) of air. This exposure occurred over a 389 minute sampling period on or about April 28, 2025. A zero exposure is assumed for the 91 minutes not sampled. The employer did not provide medical surveillance in accordance with this section.

Issued

Sep 9, 2025

Abate by

Dec 1, 2025

Penalty

Initial $1,702 · Current $851 Reduced

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1200(e)(1): The employer did not develop, implement, and/or maintain at the workplace a written hazard communication program which describes how the criteria specified in 29 CFR 1910.1200(f), (g), and (h) will be met:  a) 1500 Uhler Road, Easton PA (Facility) - On or about March 14, 2025, the employer did not develop and implement a written hazard communication program for employees working with chemicals such as silica as is required per this section.

Issued

Sep 9, 2025

Abate by

Dec 1, 2025

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances 9000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.1200(h)(1): Employees were not provided effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work area at the time of their initial assignment and whenever a new hazard that the employees had not been previously trained about was introduced into their work area:   a) 1500 Uhler Road, Easton PA (Facility) - On or about March 14, 2025, the employer did not provide effective information and training to employees that were exposed to chemical hazards such as silica as required per this section.