The Silicosis Issue: An Industry Response
The Natural Stone Institute's Role -- Now and in the Future
Previous page: Photomicrograph of silicosis, revealing lung tissue scarring and inflammation caused by inhaling crystalline silica, Kateryna Kon/Shutterstock. This Page: Safety graphic/OSHA
After a flurry of activity earlier this summer, the silicosis issue involving California hard-surface fabrication will again gear up this fall. Cal/OSHA, the state’s workplace-safety agency, is in the process of writing up new emergency guidelines for fabrication of engineered stone – quartz surfaces – throughout California. The work comes after an Aug. 9 public hearing that involved more than 100 in-person and online participants representing industry, public health, victims and other interested parties. Meanwhile, a 90-day deadline came and went from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for possible legislation to ban engineered stone in its jurisdiction of 10 million residents – although the issue is far from dead and is certain to reappear before year’s end. Background on the California engineered stone/silicosis issue so far this year is available here. In all of that time, there’s also been one consistent industry observer in the proceedings: the Natural Stone Institute (NSI). Wait -- the Natural Stone Institute? Involved in possible increased regulation of man-made materials? Stone Update asked Jim Hieb, NSI’s CEO, for an update on this … and why this isn’t just a quartz-surface issue.
When did the Natural Stone Institute get involved with this?
HIEB: NSI has been involved with silica related issues for over a decade. In 2008, we published a technical module entitled Silicosis: An Industry Guide to Awareness and Prevention as a first step towards collaboration with OSHA to address this important topic. The document was updated in 2020 to reflect new OSHA guidelines. Many webinars and safety training resources have been produced and are available for the industry since that debut document. Prior to the California silica news, NSI was already developing a plan for more advocacy about silica training, given reports coming from Australia, Spain, the United States, and elsewhere. In February, several key manufacturers of engineered quartz also approached NSI about a collaborative effort to promote safety to employees who cut both natural stone and engineered quartz.
The focus in California is with engineered, man-made materials. Why is NSI dealing with this at all?
HIEB: While the focus thus far has been on the effect of man-made materials like engineered quartz and its impact on employee health and safety, we know that many building materials, including some types of natural stone, also contain silica. We know that the root of the problem in California is the issue of dry cutting, grinding, and polishing with minimal engineering controls. This is an issue of employee safety above all else. It’s about creating a culture of employee safety. A product ban has been suggested. However, if you ban one product, and a fabricator shifts to another product that contains silica without changing their fabrication methods, the problem will not go away. This is why NSI is involved. We need to protect our fabricator members who cut multiple silica-containing products and advocate for safe fabrication practices.
What’s the timeframe for any action by Cal/OSHA or Los Angeles County?
HIEB: The timeframe for Los Angeles County continues to shift, but we anticipate a county announcement sometime in October. Cal/OSHA is working on an emergency measure that places stricter guidelines on dry cutting/polishing/grinding while also giving OSHA easier access to enforce existing regulations. An early 2024 debut of those emergency measures is planned.
The current situation involves just California. Will it become an issue in other states and locations?
HIEB: It seems inevitable that the dialogue in California will shift to other states, which is why it has been so important for the stone industry to collaborate with California on next steps. NSI has become a key industry voice to Cal/OSHA and public health officials.
What does NSI plan to do in 2024 about dealing with silicosis, not only in California but around the United States?
HIEB: Our focus is on more advocacy, more events, and more opportunities for fabricators and others to access key training materials. We are in the process of updating our Silica and Slab Safety Certificate, which will be a major component for training. Our goal is to see the industry rally around the following: Embrace Training Incorporate the Natural Stone Institute’s training resources into your company’s ongoing training plan. Take advantage of the Silica and Slab Safety training certificate. Monitor Employee Exposure Employ RCS (respirable crystalline silica) monitoring services to determine risk levels of specific employees, jobs, and areas within your shop so you can best focus training and resources to improve safety. Testing options include free OSHA On-Site Consultation services or paid third party testing by industrial hygiene and safety companies. This step can help you determine exactly where employee training, increased housekeeping efforts, or additional RCS prevention equipment is needed. Partner with Suppliers Learn from equipment and tooling suppliers about technological advances (e.g. regular air monitoring, safer cutting options, air filtration, available PPE, etc.) to help keep employees safe. Explore all options to minimize RCS exposure for employees.
For more information on current NSI resources on silica and safety, check www.naturalstoneinstitute.org/silica and www.naturalstoneinstitute.org/safety. The group also offers its Silica and Slab Safety certification through www.naturalstoneinstitute.org/safetycertificate