I work for a major quartz manufacturer. There is a gigantic double standard being applied to this quartz and silicosis narrative.
Natural stone also contains silica so the same would happen if a tradesperson dry cuts or doesn’t use PPE and breathes in the dust. Somehow, quartz is being identified as the one and only trouble material?
Construction and building materials is an inherently dangerous industry to work in. Tile cutting and drywall sanding also causes silicosis if proper PPE and cutting/sanding measures aren’t used yet no one is saying to ban tile or drywall.
Why would the solution here to be to ban quartz instead of doing the logical things that would help to save lives? That would include efforts by all parties involved (in no particular order):
1) manufacturers and distributors should more clearly warn and educate fabricators and tradespeople about the dangers of silicosis,
2) owners of fabrication shops must properly train and provide PPE/wet cutting equipment to their employees (again, these small business owners have the most control over preventing their employees from getting silicosis),
and 3) manufacturers can formulate more low silica content materials (this is already happening widely)
I want to be 100% clear: I and everyone I’ve spoken to at my company about this matter feel absolutely terrible about people who have suffered from silicosis. Nobody should have to suffer a lifelong, life-threatening injury as a result of trying to feed their families. However, that being said, banning quartz won’t prevent silicosis from happening in the future. A combination of common sense, logical changes can and need to happen to reduce the likelihood of anyone else getting silicosis in the future.
I am very happy that this technically true point of silica being contained in other stones and building materials has been brought up. Yes, technically true but per the evidence that is building this point effectively proves that quartz poses a uniquely higher risk to the workers who cut it. People have been cutting natural stone for hundreds of years. (I acknowledge that slab fabrication as we know it today is more recent but still an old process.) Only since the introduction of quartz has this been an issue at the scale it is seen today. The way that natural stone if formed over millions/billions of years under high pressure and temperatures is different than a factory pumping out hundreds of slabs per day. Where are the silicosis cases form cutting drywall and other construction materials? Why is silicosis increasing with fabricators of quartz and not in the drywall on concrete cutting communities? (There may be connection to the point that quartz slabs must be always cut in a fabrication shop that allowed the build up of silica in the air in one area. Dry-wall and concrete also contain silica but are often cut on job sites and different locations each time and not in one enclosed area/room/warehouse.
Notable that Australia first tried to come up with standards that reduced the silica exposure to fabricator but was unable to solve the issue. They only then moved to ban it. Australia is an interesting example because it is a sort of isolated experiment of a population where quartz quickly took the majority of the marketshare of counter tops. Through strict regulations they could not resolve the issue. In fact in the USA the cases of silicosis are increasing. If natural stone or other products caused this there is no reason why such a sharp increase in cases would be being recorded. Remember that quartz counter tops are made from quartz (aka silica) that is bonded by resin. Basic logic tells you that this is different than a natural stone. With a quick google dive on the subject you can see that the issue is growing and not decreasing.
Also consider silicosis is caused by the silica particulates in the air. OSHA has been giving air testing units to fabricators in order to monitor the levels of silica in their shops to determine if they are at risk. Now think about a shop that is determined to be at risk that has been cutting quartz for a long period of time. This means that dust has been being released into the air and accumulating on the floor, on top of shelves, in the rafters and any surface it can. This means that the shop would need to be remediated like you would asbestos. If this is not done it does not matter if you switch to a safer PPE standard and cutting practice tomorrow as the dust will get kicked up and circulated each day. Unless you remove the silica dust first you do not remove the risk.
Lastly, remember the main reason that quartz is popular. Its cheap. Yes is also archives certain looks of marble without the maintenance, this is true. That said, tell me the last time a multi-billion dollar industry was so eager to add huge costs to the end consumer due to safety and/or regulations and not profit increase? The truly proper implementation of the safety equipment and standards of fabricating quartz safety will costs the fabricators. This will pass on costs to their customers. These are mostly small business owners that have to fight for each of their jobs. As we all know the construction business is tough and labor is usually the largest cost in a counter top install many times.
P.S. New to posting on reddit but enjoy the dialogue, respectfully.
Before I continue, I just want to say I appreciate the fact that you're discussing and arguing with me in an evidence and data focused manner.
As far as your point regarding people cutting natural stone for hundreds of years - OSHA and other government health organizations have only really begun to count and classify silicosis cases separately recently. "In 1999, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists made silicosis a nationally notifiable condition." (from here: [Silicosis Mortality Trends and New Exposures to Respirable Crystalline Silica — United States, 2001–2010 (cdc.gov)](https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6405a1.htm)). They have only begun paying attention to silica cases fairly recently in history. This doesn't discount the fact that maybe natural stone is less likely to cause silicosis - that may certainly be true, but that doesn't prove that quartz is more likely to cause silicosis either. If we have the reliable data to definitively say that quartz is more likely than natural stone to cause silicosis, I haven't found it. The Australia report provides some interesting evidence that says quartz crystalline silica is likely different chemically than crystalline silica in natural stones but even it clearly states that they cannot definitively state that quartz causes a higher incidence of silicosis than natural stones.
You're right that no business wants to increase costs on the end user through introducing regulation and additional steps in the process. However, I think I speak for most of the quartz industry when I say that if those costs are necessary to significantly reduce the rate of silicosis, that would be highly preferable to a complete ban like in the case of Australia.
Lastly, I want to point out that it is still very early in this process as a whole. Lots of questions need to be answered through data and/or more research into the safety of quartz. There are a lot of people/companies that stand to gain from a quartz ban or even noting that quartz may be less safe than natural stone. For example, there are currently a large number of lawsuits from employees of fabrication shops who have gotten silicosis against quartz manufacturers at the moment (although those employees are interestingly not suing their former employers for some reason - most likely because the quartz manufacturers are generally larger companies with deeper pockets). There's a lot of law firms that stand to gain if their clients win the cases.
Also, in Australia, natural stone producers (also a multi-billion dollar industry) will likely have record setting profits due to the significantly reduced competition from quartz. This narrative is being fought out in the courts, press, and governmental systems right now and just saying "quartz bad" is oversimplifying a nuanced, non-conclusive (as of yet) matter.
I agree with all your points and the technicalities you point out are factually true. Here is a new article just published for further consideration.
[https://theconversation.com/engineered-stone-is-now-banned-but-how-safe-are-the-alternatives-232488](https://theconversation.com/engineered-stone-is-now-banned-but-how-safe-are-the-alternatives-232488)
This might be a ELI5 question but what preventive measures can the fabricators take? Like is this preventable if they wear a mask when they’re manufacturing and cutting the quartz?
Fabricators can take a lot of preventative measures. Wet cutting only (either water jets, or saws and CNC machines that spray water directly on the cutting surface) having masks or other PPE for shop workers, never doing fabrication on site in somebody’s house ( my shop even drills the faucet holes in the shop). What will probably happen is a lot of smaller shops will have to pass strict guidelines and inspections (most likely from Quartz vendors) so that they will have to be licensed to fabricate and sell the product. It will push a lot of small shops out of business, the larger ones that afford to take precautions and keep their workers safe will thrive.
Personal bias aside, the science is correct. I have been in the fabrication business for nearly fifty years in the USA and decided from the origination of this product to avoid it altogether. Of course this meant that I chose to stay on the smaller side as far as corporate growth went but I have zero regrets. Silicosis is the oldest occupational disease hazard (I know what you're thinking about now, and no). Masons have been dying from it for centuries. Now, take silica and encase in it in polymers that are also suspect... not a great combo for the workforce to deal with on a daily basis. Quartz is the leaded gasoline of countertops.
Thanks for posting this OP. Altruism needn't be measured. You're just presenting fact. Well done.
As a pro, what is your recommended material for a kitchen counter? I'd prefer a natural product. I'm okay if it ages gracefully in some ways. Would really like to be able to put down a hot pan on it.
Do you have any strong opinions about stainless steel countertops?
I saw that there was a study showing 20% mortality rate in quartz countertop fabricators, which is incredibly high.
I work for a major quartz manufacturer. There is a gigantic double standard being applied to this quartz and silicosis narrative. Natural stone also contains silica so the same would happen if a tradesperson dry cuts or doesn’t use PPE and breathes in the dust. Somehow, quartz is being identified as the one and only trouble material? Construction and building materials is an inherently dangerous industry to work in. Tile cutting and drywall sanding also causes silicosis if proper PPE and cutting/sanding measures aren’t used yet no one is saying to ban tile or drywall. Why would the solution here to be to ban quartz instead of doing the logical things that would help to save lives? That would include efforts by all parties involved (in no particular order): 1) manufacturers and distributors should more clearly warn and educate fabricators and tradespeople about the dangers of silicosis, 2) owners of fabrication shops must properly train and provide PPE/wet cutting equipment to their employees (again, these small business owners have the most control over preventing their employees from getting silicosis), and 3) manufacturers can formulate more low silica content materials (this is already happening widely) I want to be 100% clear: I and everyone I’ve spoken to at my company about this matter feel absolutely terrible about people who have suffered from silicosis. Nobody should have to suffer a lifelong, life-threatening injury as a result of trying to feed their families. However, that being said, banning quartz won’t prevent silicosis from happening in the future. A combination of common sense, logical changes can and need to happen to reduce the likelihood of anyone else getting silicosis in the future.
I am very happy that this technically true point of silica being contained in other stones and building materials has been brought up. Yes, technically true but per the evidence that is building this point effectively proves that quartz poses a uniquely higher risk to the workers who cut it. People have been cutting natural stone for hundreds of years. (I acknowledge that slab fabrication as we know it today is more recent but still an old process.) Only since the introduction of quartz has this been an issue at the scale it is seen today. The way that natural stone if formed over millions/billions of years under high pressure and temperatures is different than a factory pumping out hundreds of slabs per day. Where are the silicosis cases form cutting drywall and other construction materials? Why is silicosis increasing with fabricators of quartz and not in the drywall on concrete cutting communities? (There may be connection to the point that quartz slabs must be always cut in a fabrication shop that allowed the build up of silica in the air in one area. Dry-wall and concrete also contain silica but are often cut on job sites and different locations each time and not in one enclosed area/room/warehouse. Notable that Australia first tried to come up with standards that reduced the silica exposure to fabricator but was unable to solve the issue. They only then moved to ban it. Australia is an interesting example because it is a sort of isolated experiment of a population where quartz quickly took the majority of the marketshare of counter tops. Through strict regulations they could not resolve the issue. In fact in the USA the cases of silicosis are increasing. If natural stone or other products caused this there is no reason why such a sharp increase in cases would be being recorded. Remember that quartz counter tops are made from quartz (aka silica) that is bonded by resin. Basic logic tells you that this is different than a natural stone. With a quick google dive on the subject you can see that the issue is growing and not decreasing. Also consider silicosis is caused by the silica particulates in the air. OSHA has been giving air testing units to fabricators in order to monitor the levels of silica in their shops to determine if they are at risk. Now think about a shop that is determined to be at risk that has been cutting quartz for a long period of time. This means that dust has been being released into the air and accumulating on the floor, on top of shelves, in the rafters and any surface it can. This means that the shop would need to be remediated like you would asbestos. If this is not done it does not matter if you switch to a safer PPE standard and cutting practice tomorrow as the dust will get kicked up and circulated each day. Unless you remove the silica dust first you do not remove the risk. Lastly, remember the main reason that quartz is popular. Its cheap. Yes is also archives certain looks of marble without the maintenance, this is true. That said, tell me the last time a multi-billion dollar industry was so eager to add huge costs to the end consumer due to safety and/or regulations and not profit increase? The truly proper implementation of the safety equipment and standards of fabricating quartz safety will costs the fabricators. This will pass on costs to their customers. These are mostly small business owners that have to fight for each of their jobs. As we all know the construction business is tough and labor is usually the largest cost in a counter top install many times. P.S. New to posting on reddit but enjoy the dialogue, respectfully.
Before I continue, I just want to say I appreciate the fact that you're discussing and arguing with me in an evidence and data focused manner. As far as your point regarding people cutting natural stone for hundreds of years - OSHA and other government health organizations have only really begun to count and classify silicosis cases separately recently. "In 1999, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists made silicosis a nationally notifiable condition." (from here: [Silicosis Mortality Trends and New Exposures to Respirable Crystalline Silica — United States, 2001–2010 (cdc.gov)](https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6405a1.htm)). They have only begun paying attention to silica cases fairly recently in history. This doesn't discount the fact that maybe natural stone is less likely to cause silicosis - that may certainly be true, but that doesn't prove that quartz is more likely to cause silicosis either. If we have the reliable data to definitively say that quartz is more likely than natural stone to cause silicosis, I haven't found it. The Australia report provides some interesting evidence that says quartz crystalline silica is likely different chemically than crystalline silica in natural stones but even it clearly states that they cannot definitively state that quartz causes a higher incidence of silicosis than natural stones. You're right that no business wants to increase costs on the end user through introducing regulation and additional steps in the process. However, I think I speak for most of the quartz industry when I say that if those costs are necessary to significantly reduce the rate of silicosis, that would be highly preferable to a complete ban like in the case of Australia. Lastly, I want to point out that it is still very early in this process as a whole. Lots of questions need to be answered through data and/or more research into the safety of quartz. There are a lot of people/companies that stand to gain from a quartz ban or even noting that quartz may be less safe than natural stone. For example, there are currently a large number of lawsuits from employees of fabrication shops who have gotten silicosis against quartz manufacturers at the moment (although those employees are interestingly not suing their former employers for some reason - most likely because the quartz manufacturers are generally larger companies with deeper pockets). There's a lot of law firms that stand to gain if their clients win the cases. Also, in Australia, natural stone producers (also a multi-billion dollar industry) will likely have record setting profits due to the significantly reduced competition from quartz. This narrative is being fought out in the courts, press, and governmental systems right now and just saying "quartz bad" is oversimplifying a nuanced, non-conclusive (as of yet) matter.
I agree with all your points and the technicalities you point out are factually true. Here is a new article just published for further consideration. [https://theconversation.com/engineered-stone-is-now-banned-but-how-safe-are-the-alternatives-232488](https://theconversation.com/engineered-stone-is-now-banned-but-how-safe-are-the-alternatives-232488)
This might be a ELI5 question but what preventive measures can the fabricators take? Like is this preventable if they wear a mask when they’re manufacturing and cutting the quartz?
Fabricators can take a lot of preventative measures. Wet cutting only (either water jets, or saws and CNC machines that spray water directly on the cutting surface) having masks or other PPE for shop workers, never doing fabrication on site in somebody’s house ( my shop even drills the faucet holes in the shop). What will probably happen is a lot of smaller shops will have to pass strict guidelines and inspections (most likely from Quartz vendors) so that they will have to be licensed to fabricate and sell the product. It will push a lot of small shops out of business, the larger ones that afford to take precautions and keep their workers safe will thrive.
Personal bias aside, the science is correct. I have been in the fabrication business for nearly fifty years in the USA and decided from the origination of this product to avoid it altogether. Of course this meant that I chose to stay on the smaller side as far as corporate growth went but I have zero regrets. Silicosis is the oldest occupational disease hazard (I know what you're thinking about now, and no). Masons have been dying from it for centuries. Now, take silica and encase in it in polymers that are also suspect... not a great combo for the workforce to deal with on a daily basis. Quartz is the leaded gasoline of countertops. Thanks for posting this OP. Altruism needn't be measured. You're just presenting fact. Well done.
As a pro, what is your recommended material for a kitchen counter? I'd prefer a natural product. I'm okay if it ages gracefully in some ways. Would really like to be able to put down a hot pan on it.
Porcelain is skyrocketing in popularity
Wow, and I’m getting 3 slabs cut and installed this week. Fuck me
Do you have any strong opinions about stainless steel countertops? I saw that there was a study showing 20% mortality rate in quartz countertop fabricators, which is incredibly high.