Overview
- A man in his 40s who spent 14 years cutting, grinding and polishing stone countertops was diagnosed with silicosis, the state’s first confirmed case linked to this industry.
- Massachusetts’ alert calls for controls such as wet cutting, local exhaust ventilation, appropriate respirators, HEPA-filtered cleanup and periodic medical exams, noting the disease is preventable but incurable.
- Engineered stone used for quartz countertops contains over 90% crystalline silica versus less than 45% in many granites, driving higher exposure during fabrication.
- California reports 447 confirmed engineered-stone silicosis cases since 2019, including 25 deaths and 49 lung transplants; silicosis is now reportable there, with a new law requiring case sharing with Cal/OSHA starting January 2026.
- Health officials warn additional, undiagnosed cases may surface due to the disease’s long latency, with many U.S. cases involving relatively young Hispanic men, and note Australia has banned engineered-stone work as experts push for stronger measures.