Marble Institute of America Stone Industry Employee Safety Initiative

MIA Safety Committee Establishes 2012 Goals

January 2012 — The MIA's Safety Committee (comprised of leading safety experts from 15 companies from the US and Canada) met at StonExpo to established five primary for 2012:

  1. Launch the online safety training program.
  2. Create an industry standard for container loading.
  3. Create a safety certificate program for companies who demonstrate a base level of safety training at their facilities. Partner with insurance agencies to offer discounts accordingly.
  4. Create a turn-key safety manual for companies who do not have such a document.
  5. Create an industry-wide 4 hour safety training program that distributors could offer FREE OF CHARGE to their fabricator programs (hosted at the distribution company). The content will be developed by the safety committee to assure uniformity of training.

Look for more details coming soon. View 2012 committee list.

MIA Introduces Toolbox Talk Subscription Service

May 2011 — The Marble Institute of America has announced the latest in its growing list of safety services, the MIA Safety Toolbox Talk Subscription Service. This program is a subscription service whereby subscribing companies are delivered a new safety "e-packet" each month. Each "e-packet" is designed to help companies facilitate a face-to-face safety meeting, as well as provide additional information necessary to create an ongoing culture of safety training.

In order to promote safety within the stone industry and to encourage companies to conduct monthly safety meetings, the MIA is offering the first month of this service for free.

Click Here for Your Free Safety Meeting


Safe Stone Slab Handling II (English version)

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Order the Video Here

June 2011 — Created by a team of stone industry safety experts, this video showcases best practices for safe stone slab handling. It includes those practices recommended by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), and the hazards of not following proper procedures. This video includes eight sections designed so that each section can be utilized as a stand-alone safety training session for your employees. The sections include:

  • Overview of stone-related accidents that have claimed more than 50 lives in the decade beginning in 2000
  • Slab handling
  • Handling slabs with overhead cranes
  • Handling slabs with forklifts
  • Slings and clamps
  • Material handling and containers
  • Material handling and flatbed trucks
  • Employee & consumer training

See broader descriptions of each section see below.

Over 60 minutes in length, this video addresses a number of safety components not previously addressed in the MIA's safety series of videos and other training literature.

This video is available in both English and Spanish.

More About MIA Safety Initiatives

Begun in 2003, the MIA Safety Program continues to offer guidance and training for stone business owners and employees. This safety program focuses on several key areas:

  • OSHA Inspection and Enforcement
  • Personal Protective Equipment
  • Electrical Safety
  • Hazard Communications
  • Respiratory Protection
  • Equipment Operation Procedures
  • Slab Handling, Transport, Loading, Unloading
  • Compressed Air Safety
  • Tips for Conducting Safety Meetings

In 2006, the Marble Institute of America (MIA) and the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) signed an alliance to provide MIA members and others with information and training references to help them protect employees' health and safety.

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 annually facilitate day-long seminars. These seminars focus on:

  • Dust Exposure in the Stone Industry
  • Slab Handling & Other Safety Hazards in the Shop
  • Free Consultation Services available for Employers
  • Developing a Safety & Health Program
  • How to Prepare for an OSHA Inspection (includes a mock-OSHA inspection in a stone fabrication shop)
  • and information on other safety resources available.

For information about a safety seminar being conducted in your area, consult the MIA education page.

Other safety activities taken through the Alliance,

  • Produced two safety videos, one dealing with the Basics of Stone Shop Safety and a tandem production that focused on how to protect consumers who visit stone industry facilities.
  • Distributed 10,000 free copies of two safety videos, Basics of Safe Slab Handling and Basics of OSHA Compliance for the Natural Stone Industry to the fabricator and distributor readers of StoneWorld magazine.
  • Translated these two safety popular videos into Spanish.
  • Introduced Safety in the Stone Business, a technical guide that features a wide range of information on safety issues in the natural stone industry.
  • Coordinated many 1-day safety seminar utilizing OSHA officials regarding important safety considerations and how to utilize the many services offered by the MIA & OSHA.
  • Designed a set of 6 Safety Posters to raise safety awareness. The six-poster set covers slab handling, use of hard hats, dust protection, saw safety, drugs and alcohol in the workplace, and the "10 Commandments of Safety."
  • Added the Safety Meetings Toolkit to its Management Toolkit series. It offers a collection of safety agendas to assist stone companies in formulating a comprehensive safety meetings program that is on-going, effective, and compliant with OSHA.
  • Released a new title in the popular Management Toolkit Series: Forklift Safety Training Manual.
  • Produced a training video, "Silicosis: Incurable but Preventable" to address employee exposure to dust and dust monitory fabrication is done (wet or dry or a combination of both). Distributed 11,000 free copies to stone companies.

Other safety related endeavors include:

  • Numerous MIA newsletter articles promoting Safety and Health
  • Monthly 'Safety Tip' published in MIA newsletter
  • Released 5 MIA Stone Facility Safety Videos as a 2-disc set
  • Display Alliance logo and link on www.marble-institute.com home page
  • Print stand alone 'Shop Safety Advice' article in MIA newsletter
  • Translated MIA Management Tool Kit, Safety Meetings into Spanish
  • Launched new Management Tool Kit, Forklift Safety Training Manual
  • Offer downloadable English and Spanish versions of the "Safety in the Stone Business" technical module.
  • Has successfully concluded its OSHA Alliance to raise job safety and health awareness.

For more information about the MIA's safety initiative, contact 440-250-9222. The MIA's online bookstore (www.marble-institute.com) also features many training guides and videos.

For more information about OSHA and their various safety programs, contact www.osha.gov.