Cal/OSHA Considering Rules on Engineered Stone

OAKLAND, Calif. — Cal/OSHA will hold a special advisory-committee meeting here July 31 to develop emergency rules to prohibit fabrication of silica-rich engineered-stone in California.

The meeting will seek public comments on a variety of issues concerning a ban on working with man-made surfaces containing more than 1% of respirable crystalline silica.

A list of questions posted by Cal/OSHA, California’s workplace-safety enforcement agency, indicate that the meeting will focus on possible timelines on transitioning away from silica-laden surfaces, a phase-out of supply in the state, and the testing and documentation of materials to guarantee compliance.

Cal/OSHA is holding the meeting as part of the process initiated in May, when the California Occupational Safety and Health Board adopted a petition from the Western Occupational and Environmental Medicine Association to stop engineered-stone use due to concerns over workers and silicosis. The board directed Cal/OSHA to develop the emergency rules.

The meeting will be held at 10 a.m. Pacific Time at the Elihu M. Harris State Office Building in Oakland. The session will also be streamed online via Zoom.

Zoom link for Cal/OSHA meeting: https://tkoworks.zoom.us/j/84913374788