Regulatory News
CBS News: Disease once linked to mining hits workers in countertops industry
Disease once linked to mining hits workers in countertops industry March 12, 2026 / 5:00 AM EDT / KFF Health News Add CBS News on Google César Manuel González,…
Read MoreSupport the WOEMA Petition To Prohibit the Use of Engineered Stone Containing Crystalline Silica
Dear colleagues:
We ask for your support for the recent WOEMA petition to prohibit all fabrication and installation tasks on engineered stone that contains more than 1% crystalline silica….
Read MoreSome engineered stone countertop workers facing deadly lung disease from silica exposure
Thousands of workers in the engineered stone industry are falling ill due to silicosis. What doctors are saying needs to happen. Read the story…
Read MoreNPR: Kitchen Countertop Workers Are Dying. Some Lawmakers Want to Ban Their Lawsuits
An epidemic of a deadly lung disease among hundreds of workers who cut kitchen and bathroom countertops has regulators on opposite sides of the country considering two drastically different responses this week. Read and listen to the podcast…
Read MoreWOEMA Submits Petition to Revise 8 CCR § 5204 (Occupational Exposures to Respirable Crystalline Silica)
On December 12, 2025 WOEMA formally submitted a petition to the Cal/OSHA Standards Board to revise 8 CCR § 5204 (Occupational Exposures to Respirable Crystalline Silica) to prohibit all fabrication and installation tasks on engineered stone that contains more than 1% crystalline silica. This action reflects WOEMA’s ongoing commitment to worker health and the prevention of serious occupational disease.
Read MoreBREAKING NEWS! Occupational Health MDs Call for Immediate Action to Save NIOSH
The recent decision to terminate a majority of the workforce at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), by June 2025, is a dangerous and shortsighted move that…
Read MoreEmergency Temporary Standards (ETS) adopted by Cal/OSHA Standards Board
The Cal/OSHA Standards Board has made a landmark decision by unanimously adopting the Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) to protect workers in the stone fabrication industry from exposure to respirable crystalline silica), a crucial step in safeguarding worker health in the engineered stone fabricating industry.
Read MorePosition Statement: Preventing Occupational Silicosis in Engineered Stone Fabricators
Position Statement: Preventing Occupational Silicosis in Engineered Stone Fabricators February 24, 2023 Introduction: The Western Occupational and Environmental Medical Association (WOEMA) is a non-profit association representing over 500 occupational medicine specialists…
Read MoreWOEMA Launches Silica Medical Exam Practitioner Roster
Self-Identified Medical Facilities Offering Silica Surveillance Exams WOEMA has launched an online roster of self-identified medical facilities offering silica surveillance exams. We will be adding to this roster as more…
Read MoreLetter to Cal/OSHA Standards Board
February 15, 2023 To: Honorable Dave Thompson Chair, Cal/OSHA Standards Board Dear Mr. Thompson and Board Members: We are writing to urge the Cal/OSHA Standards Board to consider adopting an…
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