California stone-cutters face surge in deadly silicosis linked to engineered countertops

A recent analysis published in the New England Journal of Medicine reveals a dramatic escalation of silicosis among California workers who cut engineered-stone countertops, rising from 47 cases between 2019 and 2022 to 571 cases from 2023 through August of this year. The disease, caused by fine silica particles released during grinding and polishing, is affecting primarily Latino men, with a median diagnosis age of 46 and a median death age of 52.

Half of the reported cases are in Los Angeles County, especially the San Fernando Valley, where dozens of fabrication shops operate. State health officials have recorded 32 worker deaths and are monitoring 72 lung-transplant procedures and 51 transplant evaluations. Experts argue that the product cannot be produced safely, urging tighter regulations; a 2025 Senate bill expanded reporting requirements and mandated protective measures, yet compliance remains low. The Western Occupational & Environmental Medical Association has petitioned the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board to ban the fabrication of engineered stone, and the board has begun drafting emergency regulations.