Los Angeles — The California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board on May 21 unanimously granted a petition that could ultimately lead to a ban on fabricating and installing artificial stone products containing more than 1% crystalline silica.
The Western Occupational and Environmental Medical Association formally petitioned the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health for “expedited rulemaking” on Dec. 12.
“This action is necessary in light of the continuing epidemic of silicosis that is causing disabling disease and death among California fabrication workers as a result of their workplace exposure to silica dust from engineered stone containing crystalline silica,” wrote the organization, which represents more than 600 occupational medicine physicians and other safety and health experts in Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah.
A California Department of Public Health dashboard on silicosis lists the number of cases linked to artificial or engineered stone products at 567 since the beginning of 2019, including 218 in 2025. Those cases include 31 deaths, with the median age of the deceased being 52.
Nearly all the cases of incurable disease involve male Latino workers.
“In its unanimous decision, the board requested that Cal/OSHA prepare the required finding of emergency to support expedited rulemaking under California’s emergency regulatory process,” a press release from the California Department of Industrial Relations states. “The board also requested that Cal/OSHA simultaneously convene advisory committees, including a scientific advisory committee, to evaluate the feasibility and implications of potential worker protections related to silica exposure.”
Cal/OSHA says it’s issued more than 900 citations via a Silica Special Emphasis Program, with around $1.9 million in proposed penalties. The agency has also taken part in 465 onsite consultations involving nearly 28,000 employees.
