四个西方国家的制造商，使用工程石头制作厨房和浴室台面呈现出与就业现场接触二氧化硅的潜在致命疾病的患者。

根据a report从疾病控制和预防中心，在两年期间，四个西方国家的18名工人被诊断出患有矽肺病，其中包括两个死亡。他们中的大多数都与工程石头合作。

Engineered stone—sold under brand names such as Caesarstone and Silestone—is made of quartz and a resin binder. Unlike many kinds of natural stone, engineered stone doesn’t need sealing or polishing, making it a popular choice among homeowners. But the material contains much higher levels of silica than does natural stone, the report says—more than 90% silica compared with the 45% or less in granite.

这些材料以板坯形式送到制造商店，然后必须成形为具有用于水槽和边缘细节的切口的柜台和梳妆台。所有这些行动都是潜在的粉尘生产商，削减和研磨工程石的工人可能会暴露在高水平的空中二氧化硅上。以前曾在其他国家的石材制造商中报告的案件，但直到现在，美国制作行业中只注意到单一案例。

The spike in reported cases in Texas, Colorado, Washington, and California affected mostly Hispanic workers. The sharp increase in reported cases mirrors growing sales of the material; imports between 2010 and 2018 rose by roughly 800%.

Silicosis is an incurable disease caused by inhaling crystalline silica. Symptoms are progressive and irreversible and may result in death. Silica exposure also is linked to a number of other health problems, including lung cancer, tuberculosis, emphysema, autoimmune disease, and kidney disease, the CDCP said. Some of the patients identified in the report were in their 30s when they were diagnosed.

Silica isn’t a health threat once a countertop has been installed. It’s the cutting and polishing of engineered stone that can release dangerous levels of silica into the air. An estimated 100,000 workers in the U.S. are involved in the industry, according to aNational Public Radio report论CDCP研究。他们在大约8,700家制造商店工作，其中许多是小型操作。

“我们所有受影响的工人都与工程石头合作的事实，就像在国际上报告的许多工人一样重要，”Amy Heinzering博士是CDCP的流行性情报服务官员告诉NPR。

防止曝光的步骤

通过限制工人暴露于灰尘，可以防止矽肺。商店通常通过将石头湿润或加强通风系统加上个别工人的呼吸保护来解决这个问题。

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration in 2016 toughened regulations on workplace exposure. Industry groups, including the National Association of Home Builders,fought the proposal在理由，目标在技术上和经济上不可行。

新规则是自20世纪70年代和OSHA自20世纪70年代以来的第一个更新，估计每年的新限额将节省超过600人。

“尽管可用性的曝光控制和最近通过更严格的二氧化硅标准，但石材制造行业的矽肺纤溶和医疗监测仍然具有挑战性，但”CDCP报告“国家仍然具有挑战性。

Many of the small shops where the engineered stone is worked are “small-scale operations” with limited awareness of the exposure rules, and limited money to invest in technologies that control exposure. Further, many employees in the industry are Hispanic immigrants with limited job options and reduced access to health care. They also may be fearful of retaliation if they report workplace hazards.

问题在于国际范围。澳大利亚昆士兰州开始在2018年开始筛选所有风险员工，并确定了799名工人的98例矽肺病 - 总数的12％。这表明美国可能还有更多的案例尚未确定。

“Silicosis is preventable; the cases reported here highlight the urgent need to identify stone fabrication workers at risk and prevent further excess exposure to silica dust,” the report notes. “Stone fabrication employers should be aware of this serious risk to their employees’ health and ensure that they adequately monitor and control exposures in compliance with the updated silica standards.”

NPR报道,一年之后新OSHA的限制took effect, the Trump administration canceled a national emphasis program (NEP) on crystalline silica. In发行订单, OSHA said it would determine “at a later date” whether a revised NEP is necessary. The program was aimed at providing guidance for inspecting worksites where silica exposure was possible.

-Scott Gibson is a contributing writer at Green Building Advisor andFine Homebuildingmagazine.