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Do OSHA Controls Prevent Silicosis in Engineered Stone Workers?
As Australia already learned the hard way, while strict OSHA controls for engineered certainly help to reduce the rate of silicosis, they do not prevent it.  First, the OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) is a compromise between health authorities and...
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In addition to Silicosis, What Other Diseases Are Caused by Engineered Stone?
In addition to causing accelerated, acute, and/or chronic silicosis, dust from engineered stone causes lung cancer, kidney disease, COPD, tuberculosis, and several autoimmune diseases such as scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus. Contact us today if you have been diagnosed...
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What are the Symptoms of Silicosis?
Symptoms of silicosis include, severe shortness of breath, weakness, cough, loss of weight, fatigue, chest pain, and fever. Contact us today if you have been diagnosed with silicosis.
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Why Is It So Difficult to Diagnose Silicosis in the U.S.?
For every one reported case of silicosis in an engineered stone worker, there are likely several unreported cases.  This happens for several reasons.  First, even when they make the diagnosis, doctors are not required to report silicosis to health authorities,...
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How Many Fabrication Workers Will Die From Engineered Stone?
On December 13, 2023, the Australian government banned engineered stone, also known as artificial or quartz.  They did so based on medical studies projecting that even when using respiratory protections, over 100,000 Australian engineered stone workers would die from silicosis...
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How is Engineered Stone Different from Natural Stone?
Natural stone that is typically used for countertops contains low amounts of regular-sized silica.  For example, marble contains less than 5%.   However, engineered stone, also known as quartz or artificial, typically contains 95% nano-sized silica and 5% resins and pigments. ...
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Cal-OSHA Updates Engineered Stone Worker Protection Rules
James Nevin, partner at Brayton Purcell LLP, was quoted in the December 13, 2023 Los Angeles Times article - California embraces emergency rules to protect countertop workers from incurable silicosis as stating: The state’s emergency measure is “an important next...
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Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) on Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) for General Industry
On December 14, 2023, the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board approved Cal/OSHA's Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) on Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS). This ETS affects employees working in general industry under California Code of Regulation, Title 8, section 5204. It...
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What Are Engineered Stone (Quartz) Countertops?
Engineered stone, also known as quartz or artificial, was invented by Marcello Toncelli in Italy in 1963 as an alternative to natural stone, and Is primarily used for fabricating kitchen and bathroom countertops.   Over the decades, the product became popular...
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Australia Bans Engineered Stone
On December 13, 2023, the government of Australia took the very important step of banning all types of engineered stone, also know as quartz, artificial, or composite.  The ban is effective July 1, 2023, and bans the use, supply, importation,...
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