Luxury Kitchen Countertop Makers Trigger Health Concerns

The case is the first instance of silica dust-related silicosis in a countertop maker in Massachusetts.

Published: 12/12/2025, 4:01:03 PM EST

Luxury Kitchen Countertop Makers Trigger Health Concerns — Photomicrograph of lung tissue depicting silicosis pathology under a microscope, revealing silica particle accumulation in alveoli and fibrosis. (Shutterstock)

Employers in the luxury kitchen countertop manufacturing and installation industries are being urged to protect workers in Massachusetts from silica dust exposure derived from stone fabrication.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) issued a safety alert this week after a case of silicosis emerged in the state’s labor force.

“Beyond the critical role employers play, everyone involved in the supply chain—from consumers and designers to contractors—can help reduce the danger by opting for materials that contain less silica and pose fewer health hazards,” MDPH Occupational Health Surveillance Program director Emily H. Sparer-Fine said in a press release.

Johns Hopkins Medicine describes silicosis as a lung disease caused by inhalation of silica dust in the form of tiny crystals found in sand, glass, and rock, or in mineral ores like quartz.

Long-term exposure can result in scarring of the lungs and airways, which makes it difficult to breathe.

“Silicosis is unfortunately relatively common because of the occupational risk in a lot of industries to breathing in fine particulates,” Land Agency architect project manager Jonathan Culp told NTD. “When dealing with anything that creates dust, wearing the proper mask is important.”

The MDPH reported that earlier this year that a Hispanic man had been diagnosed with silicosis after working for two stone countertop fabrication and installation companies in the state.

He had the first documented case of silicosis in a stone countertop fabrication worker in Massachusetts, according to the safety alert.

Plastics Research Council founder and president Chris DeArmitt isn’t surprised by the public health alert in Massachusetts because the dangers of silica dust inhalation have been known for decades.

“Exposure to it in the workplace is regulated by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA),” DeArmitt told NTD.

In 2016, OSHA updated its rules to keep stone countertop fabrication workers safer by requiring ventilation and other methods to limit exposure to silica dust.

“There is no danger to workers if they take the mandated precautions,” DeArmitt added. “There is no danger to homeowners because you need to breathe in the dust for an extended time.”

MDPH data show that the first reported case of silica dust-related silicosis in the United States from engineered stone was recorded in Texas in 2014. Since then, other states have reported hundreds of cases and dozens of deaths, particularly in California.

Commonly known as stonemason's disease, silicosis has existed for centuries, according to Cape Crystal Brands founder and CEO Edmund McCormick.

“The fact that it has made an appearance in today’s stone countertop industry, especially among young and healthy workers, signifies a failure with the enforcement of existing OSHA safety standards,” McCormick told NTD.