California takes major step toward banning deadly quartz countertop work
California’s Cal/OSHA Standards Board voted to advance a ban on quartz countertop fabrication and installation due to a silicosis epidemic, with 562 workers diagnosed and 31 dead since 2019. The advisory committees will study alternatives before finalizing rules, while industry leaders argue enforcement failures—not bans—should be addressed.
California workplace safety officials took a major step toward banning the fabrication and installation of quartz countertops on Thursday, aiming to halt a deadly silicosis epidemic among workers exposed to toxic dust. The Cal/OSHA Standards Board directed the agency to begin rule-making after an all-day hearing in Sacramento, where affected workers, doctors, and industry representatives testified. The decision follows the board’s assessment that existing safety rules, imposed as an emergency standard in 2023, failed—with 94% of fabrication shops found non-compliant. California’s Department of Public Health reports 562 workers have contracted silicosis since 2019, with 31 fatalities and nearly 50 requiring lung transplants. Cal/OSHA will form an advisory committee and scientific subcommittee to explore potential alternatives to a full ban before finalizing regulations. The agency cannot ban quartz slab sales but can prohibit their processing, effectively ending their use in countertops. Industry leaders, including Cosentino’s Matt Thurston, argued the move is excessive, claiming many shops already comply with safety measures. Worker advocates, like lawyer James Nevin, praised the decision, estimating it could save millions of lives globally by setting a precedent for other states and countries. Health experts emphasize the risk comes only from dust exposure during cutting and polishing, not from installed countertops.
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