California's Planned Engineered Stone Ban Highlights Worker Health Crisis

California is moving towards a ban on engineered stone products containing more than 1% crystalline silica. Law firm Brayton Purcell LLP is drawing attention to a San Francisco Chronicle article that details this planned prohibition and the associated silicosis crisis. The report indicates that state authorities have concluded the material cannot be safely worked due to health risks to fabricators.

Engineered stone, commonly used for kitchen and bathroom countertops, is composed of at least 90% crystalline silica. Processing tasks like cutting, grinding, and polishing release significant amounts of respirable crystalline silica dust. This dust penetrates deep into the lungs, potentially causing a rapidly progressing form of silicosis, an incurable and fatal lung disease.

California has confirmed 662 cases of engineered stone-related silicosis since 2019, including 35 deaths and 75 lung transplants. The median age at diagnosis is 46, with a median age at death of 52. The crisis disproportionately affects Latino workers, who account for 98% of confirmed cases, with nearly all affected individuals being men.

Brayton Purcell LLP represents approximately 600 workers who developed silicosis after fabricating engineered stone. James Nevin, a partner at the firm, stated that the ban offers significant relief to workers and their families, as it may prevent others from suffering a "terrible death by suffocation." He likens the situation to Australia, which banned similar materials in 2024.