In 2019, members of the Georgia On-Site Consultation program’s industrial hygiene team (Georgia Tech Safety, Health, Environmental Services) observed that they were finding extremely high silica exposure levels when performing silica sampling at quartz countertop fabrication manufacturing plants in Georgia.

Silicosis is an incurable occupational lung disease caused by inhaling particles of respirable crystalline silica. These particles trigger inflammation and fibrosis in the lungs, leading to progressive, irreversible, and potentially disabling disease. Silica exposure is also associated with increased risk for lung infection, lung cancer, emphysema, and other illnesses.

The latency period for silicosis with this exposure to the engineered stone is between seven and 10 years, where normally the latency for silicosis when exposed to silica would be 30 or 40 years.

“Since reporting cases of silicosis is not required in the State of Georgia, there is no surveillance method or way to track the number of cases or deaths, so it was important that we try and find a way to prevent the exposure,” stated Jenny Houlroyd, manager of the Occupational Health Services team at Georgia Tech. Jenny decided to apply for a Susan Hardwood Grant to support funding for a training initiative for the engineered stone industry.

Through the Susan Harwood Grant, Georgia Tech developed training modules that focus on identification, evaluation, and control of silica exposure in engineered stone fabrications facilities. All training modules are available in English and Spanish and are as followings:

• Stop Silicosis for Ever
• What Makes Engineered Stone Unique
• What to Know
• Hazards
• Silica Standard
• Engineering Controls Tasks Specific
• PPE
• Medical Surveillance
• Housekeeping
• Know your Rights

The training materials feature 19 videos that have had a total of 9,993 views on YouTube. Other states took notice of Georgia’s efforts. The Los Angeles (LA) County Health Department used the videos to help develop their own training and both LA County and the California Department of Public Health link to the trainings on their websites.

The OSHA On-Site Consultation Program offers no-cost and confidential occupational safety and health services to small and medium-sized businesses in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and several U.S. territories, with priority given to high hazards worksites. Consultants from state agencies or universities work with employers to identify workplace hazards and how to fix them, provide advice for the compliance with OSHA standards, train and educate workers, and assist in establishing and improving safety and health programs. On-Site Consultation services are separate from OSHA enforcement efforts. To locate the OSHA On-Site Consultation program nearest you, call 800-321-OSHA (6742) or visit https://www.osha.gov/consultation.