Last fall, the Los Angeles Times wrote about a rise in cases of silicosis in California. They report how the disease afflicts younger men who work cutting, polishing, and installing engineered stone countertops. Many of the workers said their employers provided inadequate respiratory protection and did not use wet methods.
The popularity of engineered stone has grown enormously over the last couple decades. Safe when installed, the material has significantly more silica than natural stone. Working with it unprotected is dangerous.
Breathing silica can lead to silicosis, a type of lung scarring caused by the mineral. Silicosis is incurable and is associated with lung cancer, tuberculosis, chronic bronchitis, and autoimmune disease.
Safety regulators in California drafted emergency rules to protect workers against silicosis. And those rules were implemented in December. They require wet methods, air monitoring to confirm breathable silica dust is below a target amount, the use of full-face powered air-purifying respirators or an equivalent, and training in the employees’ language.
Employers must notify the state if an employee has a confirmed case of silicosis or lung cancer. Similarly, healthcare professionals hired by the employers to evaluate their employees must report cases of silicosis to California OSHA.
A CBS News article from early February interviewed a doctor from Los Angeles who described how her patients, many in their twenties and thirties, are dying from silicosis. Their only hope is a lung transplant.
A number of the workers filed lawsuits against manufacturers of engineered stone. Industry groups say the disease is preventable if shops follow state and Federal OSHA guidelines. There has been a failure of education on the dangers of silica dust. And there has been a failure to implement safety procedures.
Some experts say the engineered stone should be banned, as wet methods and NIOSH-approved respirators are often inadequate for the amount of dust in the shops.
Australia banned engineered stone in December. Their reasoning: the industry had not done enough to protect workers.
The Los Angeles Times article on silicosis and engineered stone.
The CBS News article on silicosis and engineered stone.
California's emergency rules on engineered stone.
