California has amped up efforts to ban the fabrication and installation of ‘engineered stone’ counter tops. A industrial safety group says products such as Corian can cause silicosis in workers who cut them with power tools…
Cutting or drilling engineered stone produces large amounts of dangerous silica particles…
‘Engineered’ stone has become the darling of decorators who specialize in bathrooms and kitchens. It’s generally made of small pieces of stone (often quartz or marble) bound together with a plastic resin. It can be cut and shaped with ordinary power tools for custom counter top and wall-surface installations.
Medical red flag
“The Western Occupational and Environmental Medicine Association (WOEMA) has filed a petition with the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board to, “prohibit all fabrication and installation tasks on engineered stone that contains more than 1 percent crystalline silica.”
“The evidence is now clear that engineered stone containing crystalline silica is too toxic to fabricate and install safely,”WOEMA says, “And education and enforcement alone will not be sufficient to curtail the escalating occupational health emergency caused by this product.”
WOEMA reports that fabrication and installation of cultured stone is confirmed to have caused doz-ens of worker deaths and hundreds of cases of lung disease in California alone.
Silicosis a scourge
Silicosis is caused by inhalation of dust from silicon-based stone. The fine silicon particles irritate the lining of the lungs and, after prolonged exposure, cam scar the tissues, hampering breathing. There is no cure. Silicosis sufferers are also more likely to contract lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, kidney disease, and lung infections such as tuberculosis.
The disease is a cousin to asbestosis, in which asbestos particles (commonly from decomposing as-bestos insulation) cause the same type of damage and symptoms. A similar condition can strike those who work with fiberglass materials if they don’t take appropriate protective measures.
The good news…
… Is that homeowners or renters who have engineered stone in their residences are not at risk from silicosis. The stuff is only dangerous during fabrication, when drilling and sawing release silica dust into the air.
The bad news…
… Is that, if California outlaws the fabrication and installation of engineered stone, other jurisdict-ions will probably follow suit. And eventually, you won’t have the option to specify the material for your kitchens or bathrooms. And you may not be able to do renovations on existing cultured stone installations. But that remains to be seen…
My take
It’s a blessing that existing engineered stone installations are not a danger to their owners and users.
But one wonders if we’re headed for a future in which alteration or demolition of affected kitchens and bathrooms will be a ‘hazardous waste’ situation – like asbestos removal – causing major disrupt-ion and piling up stratospheric expenses…
~ Maggie J.