OSHA seeks to protect stone countertop workers from lung disease, Safety & Health, September 25, 2023
Washington — A new OSHA initiative is aimed at protecting workers in the engineered stone fabrication and installation industries from silica exposure.
Breathing in respirable crystalline silica – which is 100 times smaller than a grain of sand – can lead to medical issues such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and incurable silicosis, defined by NIOSH as “an irreversible but preventable lung disease.”
The initiative will direct enforcement efforts and compliance assistance to employers who fall under two North American Industry Classification System codes:
327991 – Cut Stone and Stone Product Manufacturing
423320 – Brick, Stone and Related Construction Material Merchant Wholesalers
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