Doctors Call for Calif. Engineered-Stone Ban
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A physician’s group implored California workplace-safety regulators this month to ban the use of silica-laden engineered stone in the state.
A petition submitted to the state’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (OSHSB) on Dec. 12 asked for “expedited rulemaking” to ban fabrication and installation of engineered stone containing more than 1% crystalline silica.
The petitioner – the Western Occupational & Environmental Medical Association (WOEMA) – includes more than 600 occupational-safety physicians and other workplace safety experts in seven Southwestern U.S. states.
The petition received pushback by at least one stone-industry organization, noting that fabricator education, training, and licensing are key to safe use of the material, which also goes under the common industry name of quartz surfaces.
California law requires the OSHSB to review the petition and issue a decision within six months.
WOEMA acknowledged the previous efforts to regulate engineered-stone use via state standards and the recent passage of the state’s SB 20 but believes that’s not enough.
“The evidence is now clear that engineered stone containing crystalline silica is too toxic to fabricate and install safely, and education and enforcement alone will not be sufficient to curtail the escalating occupational health emergency caused by this producer,” the petition stated.
WOEMA asserted that the “silicosis health epidemic” will continue unless engineered-stone fabrication and installation are prohibited.
“This action is necessary to protect these workers and their families from a deadly disease and to open the market for safer products, which are already commercially available,” according to the petition.
WOEMA cited California Department of Public Health data showing 447 cases of engineered-stone-caused silicosis, with 25 known deaths.
The group also suggested that engineered stone’s effect could be more toxic than other crystalline-silica-bearing materials, such as natural stone, due to possible volatile organic compounds (VOCs) coming from polyester resins and trace metals.
WOEMA also cited data from Cal/OSHA, the state’s workplace-safety division, showing 93 of 99 finished inspections of fabrication shops revealed violations of air-quality rules – with 24 serious enough to require shop or specific operation shutdown as a silica hazard.
WOEMA also noted the >1% crystalline-silica material ban in Australia, and that alternative materials are now available.
“These alternative products cost the same or less tna prohibited engineered-stone products, resulting in no economic impact to the fabricator or consumer,” the petition noted.
WOEMA’s proposal prompted resistance from at least one hard-surface-industry group – the International Surface Fabricators Association (ISFA).
“ISFA does not believe a ban is the answer,” said Laurie Weber, ISFA CEO. “The problem is not the material — the problem is employers ignoring the law and a lack of enforcement resources to ensure compliance.
“California already prohibits dry cutting. California already requires controls. The issue is compliance, not the material.”
An ISFA statement called for a detailed assessment of WOEMA’s conclusions, especially with possible economic impact on California fabricators.
“Australia’s policy model is not directly transferable to the United States,” the ISFA noted. “Our regulatory structures, enforcement capacity, market composition and economic environment differ significantly. California must develop solutions based on American conditions – not assumptions drawn from another country’s framework.”
The ISFA proposed a collaboration with WOEMA membership on worker outreach and developing data collection and exploration of new treatments for silicosis.
“WOEMA’s members have access to the workers we are trying to reach,” Weber said. “ISFA has accesss to the employers who need direction and accountability. Working together, we can close gaps – fast – and give workers and families the protection they deserve.”
