Chicago Countertop Maker Faces $1 Million Fine for Silica Risk

A Chicago countertops manufacturer is facing a $1 million fine for not protecting workers from silica dust exposure, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced Monday.

OSHA said inspectors became aware of potential violations after a 31-year-old employee of Florenza Marble & Granite Corp. needed a double lung transplant after suffering accelerated silicosis.

The agency said that inspectors found a haze of dust throughout the workspace with workers using required respirators improperly. They also determined the company had few controls in place to reduce silica exposure as employees cut engineered and natural stone countertops for residential and commercial projects. ...