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In response to the engineered stone silicosis epidemic in California, on December 20, 2025 the Western Occupational & Environmental Medical Association (WOEMA) submitted a petition to the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (OSHSB) requesting revisions to section 5204 (Occupational Exposures to respirable Crystalline Silica) to prohibit all fabrication and installation tasks (cutting, grinding, polishing, etc.) on engineered stone (also known as manufactured or artificial stone) that contains more than 1% crystalline silica.
Key Concerns Raised in the WOEMA Petition
WOEMA highlighted the following facts in its petition:
- There are rising counts of silicosis caused by engineered stone, which represent a public health emergency.
- Exposure to silica dust from engineered stone causes the rapid onset of silicosis.
- Engineered stone is more toxic than other silica-containing materials, such as natural stone.
- The number of fabrication workers with silicosis is going to increase.
- Airborne concentrations of respirable crystalline silica dust are above the Cal/OSHA limit in many fabrication shops.
- Enforcement of existing regulations to control silica dust exposures is not likely to prevent more cases.
- Australia has successfully prohibited the use, supply, and manufacture of all engineered stone containing more than 1% crystalline silica.
- Alternative products are readily available and price competitive in Australia in place of engineered stone.
- Safe work practices must continue while alternative non-crystalline silica products are used in fabrication shops.
Cal/OSHA Responds with Emergency Rulemaking
After conducting an evaluation of the WOEMA petition, and the literature on which it relied, Cal/OSHA concluded that the fabrication and installation of artificial stone with greater than 1% is inherently dangerous, highly toxic, and harmful to workers. At the May 21, 2026, Standards Board Meeting, Cal/OSHA adopted the WOEMA petition and ordered that emergency rulemaking to prohibit the use and installation of artificial stone with more than 1% silica be initiated.
Protect Your Rights After Silica Exposure
If you or someone you know has been worked in the fabrication or installation of artificial stone or diagnosed with artificial stone silicosis, you don’t have to navigate this alone. Brayton Purcell LLP has represented toxic-exposure victims for more than 40 years, including workers harmed by asbestos and silica.
Contact Brayton Purcell LLP to understand your legal options and get support from a team deeply experienced in occupational disease litigation.
Your health, your rights, and your future deserve protection.
📞 Call (800) 361-2417