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Artificial Stone Slab Manufacturers Are Fueling a Public Health Disaster
A public health crisis is unfolding in America—not because of scientific uncertainty, but because of an industry’s refusal to take responsibility. Artificial stone slab manufacturers are allegedly at the center of a resurgence of silicosis, a fatal and entirely preventable lung disease that’s devastating a vulnerable labor force.
A Dangerous Product with a Clean Image
Artificial stone has become the centerpiece of modern kitchens. Its smooth, glossy surface masks a lethal reality: this engineered material contains at least 90% crystalline silica, far more than natural alternatives like granite or marble. The ~10% remaining content of artificial stone are other toxins and carcinogens known as VOCs.
When these slabs are cut, polished, or shaped, they release nano-sized silica dust particles into the air. Repeated exposure to this dust causes silicosis—a permanent, progressive and fatal lung disease. “A person who has severe silicosis has to fight for every breath,” wrote former OSHA head David Michaels and occupational health expert Gregory Wagner in The Atlantic- DOGE is Bringing Back a Deadly Disease, May11, 2025. “A short walk that should take just 20 minutes can take an hour. Climbing stairs, carrying groceries, and normal recreational activities are distant memories.”
The disease continues to progress even after exposure stops.
A Tragedy in Southern California
In the Los Angeles area alone, more than 300 workers have developed silicosis, according to Michaels and Wagner. “Almost all are Latino immigrants” and all of them worked with artificial stone, not natural materials. Several of these workers have already required lung transplants—a drastic measure that reflects the advanced stage of their illness.
The true scale of this crisis is likely far greater. Many small fabrication shops operate under the radar, and as the authors note, “OSHA is so under-resourced and underpowered that it has had difficulty merely finding the shops where the work is being done.”
Slab Manufacturers Knew the Risk—and Stayed Silent
The danger posed by silica dust has been well known to industry since the 1930s, when hundreds of workers died drilling through pure silica in West Virginia. And yet, manufacturers of artificial stone have reportedly failed to act, despite clear scientific warnings.
In 1974, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) provided “strong evidence” that existing silica standards were dangerously inadequate. And still, it took OSHA nearly two more decades—until 2016—to update its silica rule.
Michaels and Wagner stress that the risk is amplified by modern fabrication techniques and material properties. “Silicosis was already making a comeback,” they warn, “this time in a different industry: the fabrication and installation of artificial stone kitchen countertops.”
Dismantling Protections—Just as the Crisis Escalates
Even though it’s economically impossible for fabrication shops to implement safety measures and equipment that eliminate exposure to silica dust, the authors warn that without enforcement, “workers will certainly be getting silicosis because of inadequate public-health protections.”
As this crisis accelerates, the very regulatory systems designed to protect workers are being rapidly dismantled. On April 1st, 2025, the entire team responsible for carrying out NIOSH’s Coal Workers Health Surveillance Program (CWHSP) was reportedly fired, along with many engineers and scientists focused on miner safety research. This followed a broader restructuring plan announced by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in March, which projected a two-thirds reduction in NIOSH’s workforce.
Although public backlash led to a partial reinstatement of the CWHSP in mid-May, and some furloughed staff were brought back, a substantial portion of the agency remains sidelined. Many workers remain in limbo, and the broader mission of NIOSH remains at risk. Meanwhile, the DOGE department has moved forward with shuttering key infrastructure: 11 OSHA offices and 34 MSHA offices have been ordered closed, effectively gutting nationwide inspection and enforcement capacity.
Despite temporary reversals under public pressure, DOGE’s consistent disregard for occupational health has left the future of these protections deeply uncertain—just as the need for them grows more urgent.
The Manufacturers’ Moral Failure
Despite all this, the manufacturers of artificial stone appear to remain absent from the conversation. They continue to sell a product that allegedly directly causes silicosis without taking ownership of its consequences.
This isn’t about how the artificial stone slab material is handled during the fabrication step required before installation as countertops—the artificial stone slab material itself is allegedly the problem. The manufacturers created it, marketed it, and profited from it. Now, they must own the outcome.
It’s Time to Demand Corporate Accountability
Silicosis doesn’t have to be part of modern labor. Its resurgence is not an accident of history—it is a predictable, preventable tragedy being perpetuated by inaction at the top of the supply chain.
If artificial stone slab manufacturers are not held responsible, more workers will get sick. More families will lose loved ones. And more names will be added to a list that should never have grown in the first place.
It's time to hold the right people accountable.
Contact Brayton Purcell LLP online now or give us a call at and get in touch with an experienced team of silicosis lawyers, ready to fight for you.
