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California Could Become First State to Ban Quartz Countertop Production Amid Health Concerns
AOL.com • • health
Key Points:
- California regulators are expected to consider an emergency ban in October on manufactured stone products containing more than 1% crystalline silica due to health risks.
- Nearly 600 California countertop workers have developed silicosis between 2019 and 2026, with 65 requiring lung transplants and 31 deaths reported.
- Silicosis, a fatal and incurable lung disease caused by inhaling crystalline silica dust, has increasingly affected workers in quartz countertop fabrication.
- The proposed ban aims to eliminate hazardous products and promote safer alternatives, addressing failures in current workplace safety regulations.
- California could become the first state to implement such a ban, with support from Cal-OSHA and the Department of Industrial Relations emphasizing the urgent need to protect workers.
