L.A. County: June is Silicosis Awareness Month
LOS ANGELES – In response to the growing number of silicosis cases in California, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors proclaimed June as Silicosis Awareness Month.
The action was spearheaded by Supervisors Lindsay Horvath and Hilda Solis. The board passed a similar action in June of 2024.
Horvath noted that the goal of the designation is more than just making people aware of what the disease is, and how they can be exposed to it.
“We also want them to know what they can do to protect themselves and what we are doing to protect their health and invest in treatment and care,” Horvath said.
Through May, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) reported 322 cases of silicosis in the state, leading to 31 lung transplants and 15 deaths. More than half of those cases have been in Los Angeles County, with the San Fernando Valley bearing the brunt of the disease.
That’s where the stone fabrication industry is most prevalent in the country’s second largest city. The bulk of those cases involve fabricators who cut, grind and polish engineered stone slabs, producing large amounts of fine crystalline silica dust that can lead to silicosis,
The majority of those suffering from silicosis in California are are young Hispanic men in their 30s and 40s, although it’s striking some workers in their 20s.
There is no cure for silicosis. The only treatment is a lung transplant, which on average extends a person’s life by six years.
Two years ago, the supervisors invested $500,000 in an intervention outreach and education program. They have also worked with the county’s departments of public health and health services to make sure testing is available.
Cal/OSHA has also updated the standards for fabrication shops to include wet-cutting practices, better ventilation and more protective PPE, such as respirators.
The rise in popularity of engineered stone coincided with the increase in silicosis cases, which led different entities – including the supervisors themselves in 2023 – to consider a ban on artificial stone, similar to one adopted in Australia.
Supervisor Horvath says L.A. County officials are looking into information and research regarding restricting the allowable silica percentage in engineered stone as a potential solution, and many manufacturers are beginning to offer lower-silica engineered stone.
“While I appreciate that people want to have beautiful things in their homes and in their businesses, we also need to protect people’s lives and safety, and we shouldn’t be putting people in harm’s way to achieve that,” Horvath said.
