Workplace regulators in California are drafting an emergency rule to address an epidemic of silicosis — a deadly, preventable lung disease — among fabricators of artificial-stone countertops.
In December, Public Health Watch, LAist and Univision revealed what’s believed to be the nation’s biggest cluster of the disease, in the Los Angeles area. The news outlets’ stories — and a petition citing them — triggered a burst of activity by California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, known as Cal/OSHA.
One of the men featured in the stories, Juan Gonzalez Morin, died last month. He had just turned 37.
Since 2019, the California Department of Public Health has identified 69 cases of silicosis among fabrication workers — “likely an underestimate,” the department said in a statement this week.
Silicosis is an incurable illness caused by the inhalation of pulverized silica, a common mineral found in the earth’s crust. Artificial-stone countertops, which have become immensely popular with consumers because of their price and versatility, often contain more than 90% silica. The mineral is released into the air as a powder when workers cut or grind the slabs.
‘A possible emergency regulation’
Cal/OSHA said it is working with the Department of Public Health to develop “a possible emergency regulation to prevent silicosis.” It did not offer details. Any such rule would have to be approved by California’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board.
In a petition to the board, the Western Occupational and Environmental Medical Association (WOEMA), which represents more than 500 physicians and other…
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