Today’s post comes from respected colleague and law professor Leonard Jernigan from The Jernigan Law Firm in North Carolina.
Workers should be aware of occupational diseases like silicosis because there is a relatively new source of silica particles that can cause long-term health problems: engineered stone countertops.
“While the countertops do not pose a risk to consumers in their homes, they do pose a risk to the workers who cut and finish them before they are installed,” Mr. Jernigan wrote.
Because workers’ compensation laws that determine benefits for occupational diseases vary by state, it is important to contact an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer with questions that you or a loved one might have about silicosis, other occupational diseases, or incidents at work that result in injury.
Engineered stone countertops, a popular fixture in today’s homes, pose a health risk to workers who cut and finish them. The danger stems from the material the countertops are made from, processed quartz, which contains silica levels up to 90 percent. Silica is linked to a debilitating and potentially deadly lung disease known as silicosis, as well as lung cancer and kidney disease.
While the countertops do not pose a risk to consumers in their homes, they do pose a risk to the workers who cut and finish them before they are installed. When the countertops are cut, silica particles are released into the air, which when breathed in by the workers can start processes leading to silicosis. Manufacturers of the engineered stone countertops assert that worker hazards can be reduced through the use of protective respirators and equipment designed to trap silica dust. Despite this assertion, many safety precautions taken by employers are often inadequate.
The first documented case of silicosis among countertop workers in the United States was reported two years ago. In countries such as Israel and Spain, where engineered stone products gained their popularity, many more countertop workers have been diagnosed with silicosis and have had to undergo lung transplants. The danger of silicosis in the construction industry led OSHA to recently issue new rules requiring construction workers’ silica exposure to be reduced by 80 percent beginning on June 23, 2017.