Posted on Jul 24, 2023
Young men making quartz countertops are facing lung damage. One state is taking action
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https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/07/24/ [login to see] /silicosis-young-workers-kitchen-countertops-lung-damage-california
California is poised to become the first state in the country to adopt special measures to protect workers who make kitchen and bathroom countertops out of a popular kind of artificial stone known as "quartz."
That's because more and more countertop workers, almost all Latino men, are coming down with an irreversible lung disease after breathing in dangerous dust while cutting and grinding quartz and other stone materials.
At least ten have died. Others have needed lung transplants.
The disease, silicosis, is caused by silica dust that can fly into the air when a raw slab of countertop material gets cut to fulfill a customer's order. While natural stone like granite contains silica, "engineered stone" made of quartz contains far more, and public health experts have been warning of its increased risk.
California is poised to become the first state in the country to adopt special measures to protect workers who make kitchen and bathroom countertops out of a popular kind of artificial stone known as "quartz."
That's because more and more countertop workers, almost all Latino men, are coming down with an irreversible lung disease after breathing in dangerous dust while cutting and grinding quartz and other stone materials.
At least ten have died. Others have needed lung transplants.
The disease, silicosis, is caused by silica dust that can fly into the air when a raw slab of countertop material gets cut to fulfill a customer's order. While natural stone like granite contains silica, "engineered stone" made of quartz contains far more, and public health experts have been warning of its increased risk.
Young men making quartz countertops are facing lung damage. One state is taking action
Posted from npr.org
State of California
Hazmat
Health
Jobs
Employment
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 2
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Completely preventable if they were following OSHA standards for PPE. It's a terrible thing to have happen, but machismo will often prevent people from wearing masks or following guidelines.
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Excellent post. Thank You for sharing this shipmate. Are they not wearing a mask?
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