News Release
Department of Labor investigation of 33-year-old worker’s fatal injuries finds Huntsville countertop company failed to protect employees from stone slabs
HUNTSVILLE, AL – A U.S. Department of Labor workplace safety investigation has found that a Huntsville countertop installation company could have prevented a 33-year-old employee from being struck by a stone slab weighing thousands of pounds by following federal safety standards at a Huntsville job site.
Investigators with the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration determined that employees of Huntsville Granite and Marble LLC were using a forklift to take stone slabs off a storage rack when the slab became unsecured and struck the worker. OSHA found that an improperly secured load and a damaged rigging hook with a missing safety latch contributed to the incident.
OSHA determined the company violated federal regulations by doing the following:
- Failing to develop and institute safe procedures, including worker training, for moving stone slabs.
- Permitting workers to use a damaged rigging hook missing the safety latch.
- Allowing workers to use worn and damaged security straps.
- Failing to ensure forklift attachments were manufacturer approved.
- Neglecting to evaluate forklift operators’ performance at least every three years.
“Huntsville Granite and Marble didn’t uphold its duty to keep workers safe,” said OSHA Area Office Director Joel Batiz in Birmingham, Alabama. “With the right procedures, equipment, and training, this tragedy could have been avoided. We call on employers to make workplace safety a priority and use OSHA resources to safeguard their employees.”
OSHA issued five serious citations to Huntsville Granite and Marble for violations related to its failures to protect workers from struck-by, crushed-by and fall hazards. OSHA has proposed $29,035 in penalties to address the violations, an amount set by federal statute.
Established in 2006, Huntsville Granite and Marble LLC is a family-owned company serving North Alabama and Southern Tennessee. The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
