Washington Marble contractor fined $300,000 for exposing workers to silica dust

A Skagit County has been fined nearly $330,000 for exposing workers to crystalline silica dust from cutting, grinding and polishing stone countertops.

The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries cited and fined A+ Marble & Granite LLC in July after inspectors found the company did nothing to fix safety problems it had been cited for in April 2022.

Crystalline silica is a common mineral found in building materials such as sand, stone, quartz, marble and granite. Small particles of silica dust can get deep into workers’ lungs and cause health problems.

L&I conducted three site visits in February and March, and inspectors obtained a warrant from Skagit County Superior Court allowing them to enter the business to conduct sampling of silica levels.

The business owner admitted to inspectors that no changes were made to correct the violations found in the 2022 inspection. It appears that L&I photographed workers using the same equipment and polishing process as before, which resulted in overexposure to silica.

L&I found 10 instances of failure to fix existing problems, along with more than a dozen serious and repeated violations. A violation is classified as serious when it is likely to result in injury or death to a worker.

As a result, inspectors fined the company $329,880. The company appealed.

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Washington Contractors