New Hampshire manufacturer faces OSHA fines following forklift fatality

A Milford, N.H., manufacturer of stone countertops faces $46,250 in OSHA fines following the Oct. 21, 2005 death of an employee who was crushed by a granite slab that fell on him after it was struck by a forklift.

Northern Marble & Granite Co. Inc. was cited for 29 alleged serious and two alleged other than serious violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

"Our inspection found that the granite slabs were not stored in a safe manner, exposing employees to fatal crushing injuries," said Rosemarie Ohar, OSHA's New Hampshire area director.

Other conditions cited during the inspection included inadequate employee forklift training; uninspected and improperly modified forklifts; no specific procedures and training for locking out machines' power sources before performing maintenance; unguarded saws and grinders; unmarked exits, and exposed electrical parts. The company was also cited for lack of personal protective equipment and training; lack of a hearing conservation program; not surveying the workplace to identify hazardous confined spaces; and no written hazard communication program.

The company had 15 working days from receipt of its citations in April to comply by requesting and participating in an informal conference with OSHA or contesting them before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.