Exposure to silica dust is a health hazard for workers who manufacture, finish and install natural and artificial stone countertop products such as Granite Countertops in Middleborough MA. Symptoms of silicosis may include coughing, fatigue, shortness of breath, or chest pain. Silicosis usually occurs after 10 or more years of exposure to respirable crystalline silica, including exposure from working with Granite Countertops in Middleborough MA. However, high levels of exposure can lead to faster development and more serious lung disease. In addition to silicosis, inhalation of very small (“respirable”) crystalline silica particles can cause lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and kidney disease, and is associated with the development of lung infections, autoimmune disorders, and cardiovascular deterioration.
The disease, silicosis, is caused by silica dust that can fly through the air when an unprocessed tile is cut from the countertop to fulfill a customer's order. While natural stone, such as granite, contains silica, artificial stone made from quartz contains much more, and public health experts have been warning about its increased risk. A recent case from Florida reported a serious illness in a 39-year-old undocumented immigrant from Guatemala who had been exposed to silica through manual labor related to the cutting of quartz stone for the manufacture of countertops. California is about to become the first state in the country to adopt special measures to protect workers who manufacture kitchen and bathroom countertops with a popular type of artificial stone known as quartz.
This increase in demand has meant that many countertop manufacturers have opted for marble or granite to focus on the production of quartz countertops. Encourages countertop buyers to “think twice before deciding what materials they are going to buy and who does the work behind the scenes”, and to ensure that companies that supply quartz countertops “really protect to their workers”.
