Silica Dust Called the “New Asbestos” After Stonemason Silicosis Deaths: BBC

After their husbands died from a devastating lung disease, known as silicosis, some wives in the United Kingdom are warning about the serious risks that stonemasons face from silica dust exposure, which can result from cutting or working with quartz countertops or other engineered stone products.

Paul Gray and Stuart Johnson were stonemasons in the U.K. for years before their deaths in 2019 and 2021, respectively, due to silicosis. In a report published this week by the BBC, their widows raised concerns that there may be many more similar stonemason deaths to come, comparing the risks associated with silica dust to asbestos, which is a toxic fiber that has killed hundreds of thousands of workers in various industries in prior decades.

Silicosis is an irreversible and often deadly respiratory condition caused by breathing in silica dust, which is a chemical compound that is mixed with naturally occurring quartz to make many popular kitchen countertops. The disease starts with lung inflammation and scarring, but eventually progresses to lung failure, which carries a high risk of death.

A large amount of silica dust is released by fabricated quartz countertops, also referred to as “engineered stone,” and there is growing evidence that stonemasons face a significant silicosis hazard. There is also evidence that quartz countertop workers may develop lung cancer from silica dust inhalation.

Similar to asbestos, which has been one of the largest mass tort litigations in the U.S. in recent decades, there are also now a growing number of stonemason silicosis lawsuits being pursued against companies involved in the manufacturing and sale of quartz countertops, alleging that workers were not adequately warned about the potential risks from silica dust.

Carol Johnson, Stuart Johnson’s wife, told the BBC she had to watch her husband die by degrees over the course of several years. It started with a persistent cough that developed in 2013. He then collapsed at work in 2017, and was diagnosed with silicosis in 2018. About 14 months later, he died due to complications.

The U.K.’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which regulates workplace safety in that country, stressed the risks of silica dust and silicosis to construction workers.

“Silica is the biggest risk to construction workers after asbestos,” the agency indicated in a statement in November 2023. “HSE commissioned estimates it was responsible for the death of over 500 construction workers in 2005.”

HSE linked silica dust to silicosis, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It has issued guidance for businesses in the U.K., calling for them to minimize exposure as much as possible.

The BBC report came out about a week after a case series was published in the medical journal Thorax, highlighting the link between quartz countertops and silicosis, indicating that at least eight migrant laborers working in southern England developed silicosis after cutting and polishing artificial stone.

Silica Dust Exposure Lawsuits

In the U.S., a growing number of lawsuits are now being filed against engineered stone distributors and manufacturers, each raising similar allegations that workers have been left with life-threatening silicosis and other lung diseases as a result of the companies’ failures to warn about silica dust inhalation effects.

The silica dust exposure lawsuits indicate that steps could have been, and should have been, taken to reduce the risks for stonemasons. To minimize exposure to silica dust while fabricating, cutting and installing the artificial stone products, experts now recommend wet sawing and using respiratory protection, as well as utilizing filters, monitoring air quality and improving ventilation.

In several silicosis lawsuits that have gone to trial in recent years, stone cutters and fabricators have been awarded large silicosis lawsuit payouts by juries. Notably, a trial in August 2024 culminated in a jury awarding a stone fabricator who developed silicosis a $52.4 million verdict against Caesarstone, Cambria and Color Marble.