Spanish occupational health researchers have taken a firm position on what they see unfolding among workers exposed to artificial stone. They submitted a report to the country’s health ministry recommending that Spain consider prohibiting artificial stone based on nearly two decades of cases showing that thousands of workers developed silicosis after cutting and fabricating high‑silica products, often with inadequate dust controls in place. The researchers point to what other countries have already done, such as Australia’s nationwide ban on artificial stone in 2024, as evidence that delaying action will lead to preventable illness.
Spain has the data to support this point. The country has recorded almost 6,000 cases of silicosis since 2007, and in 2024 more than 500 new diagnoses were confirmed. Many of those affected are young workers who spent years polishing and installing kitchen countertops without being warned of the long‑term risks of inhaling fine silica dust. Several have described symptoms that now limit their ability to work or lead normal daily lives, and some have pursued legal action alleging that employers failed to protect them or even delayed their diagnoses.
Cosentino, one of Spain’s largest engineered‑stone producers and a major supplier to the UK, appears frequently in these cases. Workers who spent years fabricating Cosentino‑branded products have spoken publicly about working in high‑dust environments where protective measures did not prevent exposure. One former employee who developed silicosis after nearly two decades in fabrication is now among several individuals suing Cosentino, alleging the company delayed informing workers of their condition. Cosentino denies wrongdoing, but court records reported by Reuters show that in 2023 the company’s owner accepted a suspended prison sentence after admitting to concealing product risks affecting a specific group of workers. Other cases have resulted in no liability findings, but the volume of litigation illustrates how central Cosentino’s products have been to Spain’s outbreak.
Scientific publications in Spain have connected the resurgence of silicosis directly to artificial stone, which contains high concentrations of crystalline silica. Workers inhale dust that causes irreversible lung damage when working with these materials. Researchers view Spain as a clear example of how quickly the disease returns when a rapidly expanding artificial stone market, with large-scale manufacturers like Cosentino, are not met with appropriate regulation.
That pattern is now beginning to appear outside Spain as well, including in the UK. Early case numbers in Britain are smaller, but they mirror the same conditions Spain experienced at the start of its surge. Dozens of British workers, many in their early thirties, have already been diagnosed with silicosis linked to artificial stone fabrication with little oversight. Spain’s trajectory shows how quickly cases can accelerate when risks are underestimated, which is why emerging UK cases are being watched closely by health authorities evaluating whether these materials can be safely fabricated at all.
The message from the Spanish research community is clear: the health risks are well established, the international response is shifting toward prohibition, and jurisdictions that delay intervention are seeing the highest rates of preventable disease. As more cases surface, the findings from Spain and the litigation involving major manufacturers like Cosentino will play an important role in understanding employer responsibility, product safety, and the steps that should have been taken to protect these workers.
