Pennsylvania

OSHA cited General Shale Brick Inc., doing business as Watsontown Brick Company, with three willful, four serious, one repeat, and one other-than-serious violation after a February 12, 2026 inspection under the agency's Site-Specific Targeting plan and national emphasis program on respirable crystalline silica. Investigators found workers in Plant 3, where molded brick is made, breathing silica dust above permissible limits while the company knew about the exposure but failed to fix it or require respirators. OSHA also found the employer failed to conduct annual respirator fit tests, establish regulated areas where employees are exposed to silica, check exposure levels for all silica-involved jobs, and provide the medical exams required for workers exposed to silica more than 30 days a year; a prior fit-test violation at the company's Augusta, Georgia site drove the repeat citation. Proposed penalties total $496,528.