US Edition1st Case of Incurable Lung Disease Silicosis Confirmed in Mass., DPH Says
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health warns employers to adopt safety measures after diagnosing the first silicosis case in a stone fabrication worker with 14 years of exposure.
- On Tuesday, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health issued a safety alert after confirming the first occupational silicosis case in a Hispanic man in his 40s from the stone countertop fabrication workforce.
- Workplace inspections found the worker repeatedly cut and shaped quartz, granite, marble, and porcelain over 14 years, with wet methods not routinely used and only thin surgical masks provided.
- After about 10 years the worker began coughing and shortness of breath, symptoms that persisted with fatigue and weight loss, leading to a silicosis diagnosis four years later.
- Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein urged stone countertop fabrication employers to protect workers using recommended controls: wet cutting, wet sweeping, ventilation, and medical surveillance, while officials warned other unconfirmed cases could exist recently.
- In recent years, engineered stone's popularity has raised silicosis risk among stone workers, and DPH said supply chain actors—consumers, designers, contractors—can reduce danger by choosing lower-silica materials.
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'It is here': Man diagnosed with deadly lung disease after years of working with one of the most popular kitchen materials in America
Health officials in Massachusetts have reported the state’s first case of silicosis that cannot be cured. This deadly lung disease is directly connected to years of working with engineered kitchen stones like quartz. These countertops have become extremely popular in modern kitchens across the country. According to Fox News, the patient is a 40-year-old man who spent 14 years working in the stone countertop business. Silicosis happens when worke…
Massachusetts reports first silicosis case, warns workers
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) has issued a safety alert urging employers in the stone countertop fabrication industry to protect workers from silica dust exposure after confirming the state's first case of silicosis.
Massachusetts worker in stone countertop industry is state’s first case of ‘devastating, life-altering disease’
A longtime worker in the Massachusetts stone countertop industry has been diagnosed with a "devastating, life-altering disease," as state health officials alert employers.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) issued a safety alert to employers in the stone worktop manufacturing industry, after confirming the first case of silicosis among workers in this sector in the state.Silicosis is a serious, incurable and sometimes fatal lung disease, but can be prevented.It occurs when a person breathes silica powder, a mineral naturally present in stones such as granite and, at much higher levels, in the so-c…
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