What Is Silicosis and How Is It Linked to Worktops?
What Is Silicosis and How Is It Linked to Worktops?
Silicosis is a serious lung disease caused by breathing in fine crystalline silica dust. Here is a plain explanation of the condition and how it links to stone worktops.
The Short Answer
Silicosis is a long term lung disease caused by breathing in fine crystalline silica dust. Over time the dust inflames the lungs and leads to scarring which stops the affected lung tissue from working properly. It can be serious and in some cases fatal and the damage cannot be reversed once it has happened.
The link to worktops is about how stone is worked rather than how a finished worktop is used. Cutting and grinding and polishing stone can create fine dust and the people who do that work are the ones at risk. This page explains the condition in plain language and shows why dust control matters so much to us. It is general information and not medical advice.
How Silicosis Develops
Crystalline silica is a mineral found naturally in some stone and rock and sand and clay. Working with these materials can release tiny dust particles that are easy to breathe in. Once the particles reach the lungs they trigger inflammation and over time the lung tissue becomes scarred. Scarred tissue cannot do the job of healthy tissue so breathing becomes harder.
The condition often develops slowly. Symptoms commonly appear years after exposure begins and they can carry on getting worse even after the exposure has stopped. That is one reason prevention matters so much. The aim is to stop the dust being breathed in at all rather than to deal with the damage afterwards.
Signs and Symptoms
The main signs of silicosis are a persistent cough and shortness of breath that does not go away as well as weakness and tiredness. As the condition progresses these can become more severe and everyday activities such as walking or climbing stairs can become difficult. The table below sets out the main points.
| Sign | What It Can Look Like |
|---|---|
| Persistent cough | A cough that carries on and does not clear up |
| Shortness of breath | Breathlessness that does not go away and can worsen over time |
| Weakness and tiredness | A general lack of energy that affects daily life |
| Everyday activities | Walking or using stairs becomes harder as the condition progresses |
If you are worried about your own breathing or you have worked with stone dust please see your GP and tell them about your work. They can ask about your symptoms and your work history and arrange any tests that are needed.
Talk to Our Team
If you have questions about the materials we offer or how we work to protect our team visit our Elstow showroom or call us. You will get clear advice and a no obligation quote.
Who Is Most at Risk
Silicosis is an occupational disease so it mostly affects people whose jobs involve silica dust. Health bodies list stone masonry and construction and demolition as well as worktop making and fitting among those jobs. Mining and quarrying and work in pottery and ceramics and glass making appear on the list too. What these jobs have in common is that they involve cutting or breaking or grinding materials that contain crystalline silica.
For workers who are regularly exposed to silica dust regular health checks known as health surveillance are recommended so that any problem can be found early. That is part of the wider approach to protecting people at work alongside good dust control and training and suitable protective equipment.
How Silicosis Is Linked to Worktops
Crystalline silica in quartz and stone worktops can create hazardous dust during cutting and grinding and polishing. Breathing in this dust can cause silicosis and other serious lung diseases. Making and fitting worktops is one of the jobs health bodies name as carrying a risk of silicosis because the work involves cutting and shaping stone.
In recent years there have been reports of silicosis among people who work with engineered stone where the disease appeared sooner than the long term form people were used to. That is one of the reasons the Health and Safety Executive published its engineered stone guidance in May 2026 and began an inspection programme. Our article on HSE Engineered Stone Guidance Explained explains the guidance and Is Quartz Banned in the UK looks at whether quartz has been banned.
The risk comes from breathing in dust created when stone is cut and ground and polished. It does not come from living with a finished worktop in daily use.
What About Homeowners
The people at greatest risk are fabricators and installers who work with the material. A finished worktop in a home is not the source of concern so there is no reason to remove a worktop that is already fitted. The sensible step is to look after the surface with mild soap and warm water and a soft cloth and to make sure any cutting or trimming after fitting is done with proper dust controls. Our guide to Is Quartz Safe in Your Kitchen explains this in more detail.
How Silicosis Is Treated
There is no cure for silicosis because the lung damage cannot be reversed. Treatment focuses on easing symptoms and keeping quality of life as good as possible. That can include medicines to open the airways and treatment for chest infections as well as oxygen at home for people whose blood oxygen is low. In severe cases a lung transplant may be considered. Avoiding any further exposure to silica dust and stopping smoking can help to reduce complications.
Silicosis can also increase the risk of other serious conditions so anyone diagnosed will be looked after by their doctors with those risks in mind. If you think you may be affected please speak to your GP rather than waiting.
Low Silica Worktops Guide
This article is part of our complete guide to low and zero silica worktops, covering the materials, the safety questions and how we work.
Explore the Full GuideFor the whole subject in one place our Low Silica Worktops Guide gathers every article in the series.
How Dust Control Protects Workers
Because silicosis cannot be cured the focus is on stopping dust from being breathed in. In a stone workshop that means using water-fed tools and dust-extraction systems and keeping equipment well maintained and work areas clean. It means training the team and providing suitable respiratory protection whenever it is needed. Employers in the UK are expected to control exposure to hazardous dust and HSE guidance and inspections are aimed at checking that they do.
Choosing a worktop with a lower crystalline silica content can also help. Zero and low silica worktops can reduce the silica related risk for fabricators and installers but safe dust control practices are still essential. Our guide to What Are Low Silica Worktops explains what low silica worktops are.
Why This Matters to Us
Protecting our team matters to us. That is why we made a commitment to work toward a factory environment with zero crystalline silica exposure. It is a goal we are working toward and we are reviewing how we work and strengthening the steps we take to reduce dust exposure. You can read the full statement in Our Commitment to a Safer Workplace and see how we work in How We Cut Stone Safely and Training and Protective Equipment.
Where to Go Next
If you would like quick answers to common questions our Low and Zero Silica Worktops FAQs page is a good place to start. To see what to look for in a fabricator read Choosing a Safe Worktop Fabricator.
Speak to the Precious Marble Team
If you would like to know more about how we protect our team or the low and zero silica worktops we offer we are happy to help. You can also browse the range on our Low and Zero Silica Worktops page.
To ask a question or arrange a quote, call our team on 01234 348 590 or request a quote online. We will talk you through the options and answer anything you would like to know before you decide.
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