WASHINGTON, DC – Nearly 500 kitchen countertop workers in California have developed silicosis since 2019, with 27 dying from the incurable lung disease, even as some federal lawmakers push to ban workers from suing the companies that make the stone slabs responsible for the crisis.
The deadly outbreak has emerged among workers who cut and polish engineered quartz, an artificial stone that releases dangerous silica dust during fabrication. The material creates significantly more hazardous dust than natural granite or marble.
Over 50 affected workers have required lung transplants, and the disease has spread beyond California, with cases identified in Texas, New York, Colorado, Washington, and Massachusetts.
“It’s not the lawsuits that should be banned, it’s the stone slabs,” said Raphael Metzger, a California attorney representing numerous affected workers with hundreds of ongoing lawsuits.
The crisis has sparked dueling responses in Washington and California this week. California workplace safety regulators are scheduled to hold a hearing Thursday on potentially banning the cutting of engineered stone entirely. Meanwhile, House Republicans have introduced legislation that would ban workers from filing lawsuits against quartz manufacturers and suppliers.
David Michaels, an epidemiologist and former director of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, condemned the proposed federal legislation.
“This legislation is a death sentence for workers in this industry,” Michaels said.
Industry representatives argue the material can be fabricated safely with proper controls. Rebecca Shult, chief legal officer for quartz manufacturer Cambria, said the company’s safety record “demonstrates that quartz can be fabricated safely.”
However, inspections have found widespread non-compliance with safety standards. Alice Berliner of Los Angeles County Public Health reported that at least 25 percent of fabrication shops continue dry-cutting stone despite the known dangers, and inspectors found zero workers wearing appropriate respiratory protection during high-risk tasks.
Australia has already implemented a complete ban on engineered stone after experiencing a similar crisis among countertop workers.
