OSHA Region V Alliance With The
Marble Institute of America Works to Provide Hazard Recognition in the Stone-Cutting Industry
The dangers associated with silica and slab-handling represent two of the hazards involved in working in the natural stone fabricating business and are the focus of the Alliance signed on March 10, 2006 between the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Region V Cleveland, Ohio, Area Office and The
Marble Institute of America (MIA). The Alliance was also signed by the OSHA On-site Consultation Programs in Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. MIA, a trade association serving the natural stone industry, represents professionals working with
marble, granite,
limestone, quartz-based stone, slate, travertine and other materials.
To meet the Alliance goals of increasing the national dialog and helping to educate employers and employees in the natural stone industry, OSHA and MIA sponsored a day-long seminar in December 2006 for stone industry companies. Fifty representatives from companies located in Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Wisconsin attended the event and listened to presentations given by members of OSHA’s Cleveland, Ohio, Area Office. For example, Rob Medlock, Area Director, discussed OSHA policies and procedures; Aaron Priddy, Safety Specialist, discussed safe slab-handling techniques; and Julie Weis, Compliance Assistance Specialist (CAS), discussed prevention of silica exposure. In addition, Dave Roll, consultant for the Ohio On-site Consultation Program, discussed Ohio’s On-site Consultation Program’s ability to work with employers. Each attendee was provided OSHA and MIA compliance assistance materials including safety videos and brochures. Several companies requested more information on how to contact their state’s On-site Consultation Program representatives to schedule an evaluation. "This regional Alliance demonstrates our commitment to find cooperative ways to prevent workplace fatalities, injuries and illnesses," said Michael Connors, OSHA Region V regional administrator in Chicago. "Enlisting the help of The
Marble Institute of America in this effort furthers our joint objective of improving safety in natural stone fabricating businesses through enhanced communication about safety issues and development of safety programs."
In addition, a representative from a Cleveland, Ohio, company that had recently been inspected by OSHA offered insight to the audience from a personal perspective. According to Gary Distelhorst, Executive Vice President of MIA, "This highly informative session provided the necessary details for company owners to take back and reassess their own facilities’ strengths and weaknesses in their safety and health programs." At the end of the day, OSHA representatives had a panel discussion during which seminar participants were encouraged to ask questions about workplace safety and health hazards.
In November 2006, Julie Weis gave an update on the OSHA and MIA Alliance at MIA’s Annual Conference (StonExpo) in Las Vegas, Nevada. She provided information on specific safety and health regulations and ways to comply with OSHA standards. In addition, she answered questions from some of the 150 attendees. MIA representatives found her presentation so informative that they requested a similar talk be given at the StonExpo in Atlanta, Georgia in March 2007. As a result, Jonathan Worrell, CAS in OSHA’s Atlanta East, Georgia, Area Office, spoke at the event. Gary Distelhorst commented, "The
Marble Institute is very pleased with the positive relationship that we have developed with OSHA, and in particular the OSHA Cleveland, Ohio, Area Office. Following the formalization of our Alliance, we have worked together on safety training videos, safety modules, articles for our newsletter, safety seminars at our annual convention and trade show, and a stand-alone safety workshop here in the Cleveland area."
Through the Alliance, OSHA and MIA representatives also worked together to develop two DVD videos--"Basics of Safe Stone Slab Handling," which is available in English and Spanish, and "Basics of OSHA Compliance for the Natural Stone Industry"--for stone fabricators and distributors. The videos were distributed to MIA member companies and others and inserted in its magazine, StoneWorld, which has a circulation of more than 10,000 subscribers. The videos describe OSHA’s basic policies and procedures and OSHA’s emphasis on silica exposure and material handling. OSHA personnel, including the Cleveland, Ohio and Phoenix, Arizona Area Office Directors and the Cleveland, Ohio CAS appear in the videos.
Further, to promote the national dialog on safety and health, Alliance representatives worked together to produce a video Web cast about silica exposure in the stone industry. Bill Perry, Acting Deputy Director, Directorate of Standards and Guidance in OSHA’s National Office was interviewed extensively during the production about OSHA’s silica emphasis program. He explained the background on silica and silicosis and OSHA’s official position on the topic of silica. Dr. Peter Mazzone, a pulmonary specialist at the Cleveland Clinic, also participated and described silicosis symptoms. According to OSHA’s Perry, where fabrication is done, wet or dry or a combination of both, fabricators should monitor their employees’ exposure to the dust. The video was posted on stonenewschannel.com in early May 2007.
Said MIA’s Gary Distelhorst, "The outcome has been a heightened awareness of safety and safe working conditions throughout the stone industry, and while a lot remains to be done, I am confident that our Alliance with OSHA will contribute to, and facilitate, more and better programs to raise safety awareness and compliance."
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 | | Marble | MARBLE: CHARACTERISTICS
This standard includes general information on the characteristics
and common uses of marble and identifies typical problems
associated with the material.
INTRODUCTION
Marble is an extremely hard, metamorphic stone composed of calcite
(CaCO3). It is formed as a result of the recrystallization of
limestone under the intense pressure and heat of geologic
processes. The effect of this process is the creation of a stone
with a very tight crystalline structure and small but definite
porosity. Because of its structure, marble can take a very high
polish and is a very popular decorative stone for architectural and
sculptural uses. The limited porosity of marble, especially
polished marble, makes it less vulnerable to the leaching effects
of water. Calcium carbonate, however, of which marble is composed,
is highly susceptible to attack by acidic agents. Marble is
readily dissolved by acids, even very dilute acids, however the
actual results of acidic exposure will vary with the nature of the
acid. Chlorides, nitrates, sulfates and other chemical compounds
react differently with marble and produce various by-products,
which have a wide range of solubility and impact on the durability
of marble. For this reason, it is always important to determine
the exact type of pollutants causing marble deterioration.
Marble itself can be of two types, one composed of calcite and the
other of dolomite. Dolomitic marble is much more resistant to acid
attack than calcite marble. The color of marble ranges from the
brilliant white of calcite to black, including blue-gray, red,
yellow and green, depending upon the mineral composition.
TYPICAL USES
Marble has many decorative and structural uses. It is used for
outdoor sculpture as well as for sculpture bases; in architecture
it is used in exterior walls and veneers, flooring, decorative
features, stairways and walkways. The way in which the stone is
used may be a factor in limiting or controlling the severity of
exposure. The use or function of the marble may also affect the
feasibility of applying certain treatments, but type of use is not
the primary factor in the major types of deterioration and damage
to which marble is susceptible. | |  |
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