Despite the health concerns that have been raised for workers at manufacturing and fabricating facilities recently, health officials say engineered stone countertops pose no health hazards to homeowners. Recent warnings about exposure to silica dust do not pertain to finished engineered stone countertops, Kitchen & Bath Design News reports.
Warnings about exposure to crystalline silica dust do not pose a risk if manufacturing, fabrication, and job-site installation are performed according to recommended practices, both the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) say.
Engineered stone—produced by embedding particles of marble, granite, quartz, and other natural stones in a resin binder—is composed largely of crystalline silica. Workers may be exposed to silica dust when cutting, grinding, chipping, drilling, sanding, edging, and polishing the stone. Workers can also be exposed when handling raw materials, cleaning mixers and dust collectors, and performing similar tasks, often at makeshift, poorly run facilities. Workers who inhale airborne crystalline silica dust are at risk for silicosis, a disease that can result in permanent lung damage, according to OSHA and NIOSH.
According to the Agglomerated Stone Worldwide Association (A.St.A. World-Wide), the trade organization that represents major engineered stone suppliers, dust-related illnesses can result from the unsafe handling of literally any natural or manufactured stone product—and risks are not specific to engineered-stone surfaces. Potential hazards from silica dust exposure, A.St.A. World-Wide notes, can be mitigated through simple and effective dust controls, protective equipment, training, monitoring, medical evaluations, and other measures.
A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 18 cases of illness and two deaths among engineered-stone cutters. The report led lawmakers to lobby the Department of Labor to strengthen protection for workers who may be unsafely cutting such countertop surfaces and led to numerous warnings about exposure to crystalline silica dust.
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