Silica Hazards Spur OSHA Fines Against Texas Countertop Maker

Silica hazards and other dangers observed at a Texas manufacturer of stone countertops led federal safety inspectors to propose $219,679 in fines—penalties that come little more than a year after a fatal accident that resulted in citations against the company.

C & C Sage Inc. in Austin, also known as True Blue Granite, was issued a series of citations this month—some for alleged repeat violations—following an inspection period that began March 6 and ended Aug. 10, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The repeat violations, for allowing workers to operate possibly unstable forklifts and for using compressed ...