Countertop workers are in serious danger from silica dust emitted in cutting, finishing and even installing countertops. As 61 workers developed silicosis, some requiring lung transplants, OHSA and NIOSH issued a hazard alert.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health today jointly issued a hazard alert about protecting workers from significant crystalline silica exposure during manufacturing, finishing, and installing natural and manufactured stone countertops.

SAN ANTONIO – Delta Granite and Marble Inc., a custom fabricator of countertops, has been cited with 10 serious and one other than serious violations by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.