Paragon Industries, Inc. (DBA Bedrosians Tile & Stone) Neglected the Health and Safety of Workers

Paragon Industries, operating under the trade name Bedrosians Tile and Stone since its incorporation in California in 1974, has long been recognized as a key player in the tile and stone industry. However, a closer examination of their practices, particularly concerning the safety data surrounding their Sequel Encore™ product, reveals a deeply concerning negligence towards worker health and safety.

In March 2021, Paragon Industries released a Safety Data Sheet for Sequel Encore™, which notably contains over 90% Quartz (SiO2), a known dangerous component due to its capacity to produce respirable crystalline silica dust—a potent carcinogen and a primary cause of silicosis upon inhalation. Despite the clear risks, the Safety Data Sheet's "Hazard(s) Identification" section grossly understates these hazards, misleadingly suggesting that crystalline silica "may cause cancer" and causing damage to the lungs through "prolonged or repeated exposure." Such vague language obscures the well-documented fact that crystalline silica is a known human carcinogen and that exposure can lead to acute or accelerated silicosis within a short time frame, not just through prolonged or repeated exposure.

The Safety Data Sheet further exacerbates this misinformation by providing a list of 15 "Precautionary Statements" that range from impractical to downright misleading. Statements such as "Do not breathe dust" or "Use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area" offer no practical guidance for workers who are inevitably exposed to dust in enclosed fabrication spaces. Moreover, the critical omission of the necessity for air-supplied respirators, the only proven method to prevent silicosis, in favor of generic protective gear recommendations, is a glaring oversight that puts workers at significant risk.

The instructions for "safe handling" and "exposure controls" in the Safety Data Sheet are equally inadequate. Suggestions to use equipment with dust collection or local exhaust ventilation, and wet cutting methods, while potentially reducing dust generation, are insufficient safeguards against the high levels of respirable crystalline silica produced during stone fabrication. The recommendation for "respiratory protection in the absence of effective engineering controls" fails to specify the essential need for air-supplied respirators, misleading workers into believing that standard particulate respirators could offer sufficient protection.

Most alarmingly, the Safety Data Sheet's discussion on the carcinogenicity of crystalline silica downplays the severity and inevitability of health risks associated with exposure. The assertion that "worker protection against silicosis can be consistently assured by respecting existing regulatory occupational exposure limits" is demonstrably false. Numerous studies and occupational health records show that compliance with these limits does not guarantee safety from silicosis, undermining the credibility of Paragon Industries' commitment to worker safety.

The inclusion of a Proposition 65 warning in the Safety Data Sheet that suggests exposure to harmful dust occurs "only if the product is dry cut/ground or pulverized" is misleading. It neglects the fact that any form of cutting, grinding, or polishing, even with wet methods, can and does generate dangerous levels of respirable crystalline silica, putting workers at risk of developing life-threatening diseases.

In closing, the Safety Data Sheet issued by Bedrosians Tile and Stone under Paragon Industries represents a concerning neglect for the health and safety of workers in the stone fabrication industry. The document's failure to accurately convey the hazards associated with their products, coupled with inadequate and misleading safety instructions, highlights a disturbing disregard for the well-being of those who handle these materials daily. It is imperative that Paragon Industries rectify these deficiencies and take immediate, transparent steps to ensure the safety of all workers involved in the handling and fabrication of their products, to prevent further contribution to the ongoing epidemic of silicosis within the industry.