The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has today announced a landmark package of measures, including new guidance and a nationwide inspection programme, to protect workers from the deadly lung disease silicosis. Dry cutting of engineered stone is now explicitly declared unacceptable, with water suppression techniques confirmed as a legal requirement. This decisive action comes ahead of over 1,000 inspections commencing across Great Britain over the next 12 months, with enforcement action promised against non-compliant businesses.
Regulator launches 1,000+ inspections to enforce new safety rules.
This significant intervention follows a two-year period of extensive research and industry engagement by the HSE, prompted by the tragic deaths of young workers from silicosis in recent years. Silicosis, an incurable but entirely preventable lung disease, is caused by breathing in respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust released during the cutting and fabrication of engineered stone, a material widely used in kitchen and bathroom worktops. The HSE’s findings revealed that dry fabrication methods typically result in RCS exposure five to ten times higher than wet methods using equivalent tools.
The new guidance, launched ahead of this week’s Stone & Surfaces Show, clarifies that businesses must adopt water suppression techniques to meet their legal obligations. Furthermore, the research highlighted that lower-content silica engineered stone is readily available without compromising quality, removing any justification for businesses not to switch to less hazardous products. The HSE is now acting decisively to ensure these critical controls become universal across the industry.
To provide clear instructions for employers and workers, the HSE has published its first-ever COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) guidance sheet specifically for engineered stone. This comprehensive guidance outlines several legal requirements: switching to engineered stone with a low silica content, utilising on-tool water suppression, effectively controlling mist, providing appropriate respiratory protective equipment (RPE), and carrying out regular health surveillance for workers. These measures are crucial for mitigating the severe health risks associated with silica dust exposure.
Mike Calcutt, Deputy Director in HSE’s Engagement and Policy Division, underscored the gravity of the situation. He stated that this guidance represents the most significant intervention in the engineered stone sector to date, for good reason. Silicosis, he reiterated, is incurable but entirely preventable, and no worker should lose their life due to a preventable occupational disease. The HSE’s research starkly revealed that many businesses are failing to implement proper controls, continuing to use high-silica content engineered stone and engaging in dry cutting, practices that must cease immediately.
Mr. Calcutt issued a clear message to employers in the sector: the guidance is now published, expectations are unambiguous, and HSE inspectors are on their way. He warned that businesses cutting corners are not only endangering their workers but also unfairly disadvantaging those organisations that are operating responsibly and adhering to safety standards. The HSE is committed to creating a level playing field across the industry. Workers handling engineered stone are also urged to understand their rights and the safety controls that should be in place, and to contact the HSE if they have any concerns.
Originally published by the Health and Safety Executive.
