An OSHA workplace safety investigation has found that a Huntsville, Alabama 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.

OSHA investigators 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.