A new safety kitemark-type programme now safeguards UK workers from the potentially deadly lung disease silicosis. It also reassures consumers that the worktops in their kitchen upgrades have been cut safely.
Active since early summer 2026, the scheme addresses concerns about toxic dust which cutting engineered stone worktops (i.e. quartz) can cause. The UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has hailed the move as ‘significant’ and ‘important’. Equally, a top doctor who treated the first confirmed incidence of silicosis with a link to engineered stone has also praised the scheme.
Are quartz worktops safe?
And could it be that the concerns over safety have been exaggerated? It’s true that, in common with many other engineered stones, quartz contains silica. This can be harmful to human health if its dust is inhaled. But the risk is very small if the right PPE and other precautions are followed at the time the stone is cut.
What’s more, any danger is only present during the manufacturing process; having quartz in your home or business is safe, whether you use the stone as a kitchen worktop, backsplash or anything else. There’s absolutely no clear evidence that the substance poses a danger to customers, or even installers.
How will it work?
Firms taking part and which also belong to trade body the Worktop Fabricators Federation (representing more than half the market) will receive inspections from specialists registered with the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS).
This will ensure, for example, that cutting quartz slabs involves water-suppressing techniques so that silica dust doesn’t arise from manmade quartz, which can have a very high silica content.
A quality mark will appear on slabs which participating fabricators have cut. Firms which sign up to the scheme will also undergo yearly workplace assessments from occupational hygienists, who must be professionally registered and trained in engineered stone control. Employers must also advertise screening via the Lungs at Work referral process at the Royal Brompton Hospital, which treats most of the UK’s quartz silicosis cases.
The idea is that firms should not use products whose silica content is over 30%. They should also train staff on the potential hazards of silica dust.
Finally, if a company affiliated with the scheme has cut a worktop, it will bear a kitemark-type symbol.
Praise for the scheme
Chief executive of BOHS Kevin Bampton said the programme will ‘certainly save lives’. Plus it will help people to ‘buy products with the reassurance that their purchase is not at the expense of someone’s health’.
The sector hopes the scheme will direct HSE inspectors towards those operators which don’t follow relevant safety regulations. This should make it easier to enforce the rules.
At the same time, the BOHS is urging the government’s recently created Fair Work Agency to target ‘illegal practices within this sector’. It’s also calling for a screening programme for stonemasons. This is already in place in Australia, the first country to ban engineered stone.
Meanwhile, the HSE has also commented, saying: “This is an important development in raising awareness of the risks of silica and compliance with good practice”.
HSE inspections underway
In the coming months, the HSE will also undertake 1,000 workplace inspections UK-wide. The first of these visits have already happened. Possible penalties include criminal prosecution, a prison sentence of up to two years and an unlimited fine.
Employers must also supply adequate respiratory protective equipment. Additionally, the HSE is working to encourage the supply of lower-silica engineered stone products.
The Trade Unions Congress (TUC) has called for the outright banning of engineered stone. Australia has done this already, but it seems unlikely currently that this will happen in the UK.
Since mid-2023, more than 50 UK-based stonemasons have been diagnosed with silicosis. Many of them are under 40.
Making quartz safer
Since Australia banned quartz, there has been a greater sense of urgency to minimise risk. So many suppliers are now developing quartz with a lower percentage of respirable crystalline silica (RCS).
However, prevention is always the best measure and so the right safety protocols need to be in place at the cutting and manufacturing stage. Meanwhile, organisations such as the Worktop Fabricators Federation (WFF) are constantly working on education and best practice for the industry.
So, in conclusion, while silicosis has occurred in cases which could be linked to working with quartz, it shouldn’t happen if people follow the correct safety advice. This makes it important that both across the sector and the relevant regulatory bodies, we keep safety firmly in mind. We should also look to the root cause of the problem.
Why quartz is still a winner
Safety concerns aside, it’s worth remembering why quartz is so popular. For example, when it comes to natural stone, it’s one of the more affordable choices. It’s also a smart-looking, hardwearing material that can add a hint of luxury to any home, however you use it.
Finally, its variety of colours means you enjoy plenty of choice and versatility.
Talk to Royal Stone Care
At Royal Stone Care, as professional stone restoration and repair experts, we don’t cut or manufacture quartz ourselves. But clearly we welcome anything which improves safety for those who do. So we were pleased to hear about the moves outlined above. And we’re always happy to discuss safety issues with our many commercial and domestic customers.
We’d urge you to look for the kitemark-style symbol described above when buying a new kitchen worktop in a beautiful natural stone. Among other things, we specialise in quartz worktop repair and restoration services. So we’re ideally placed to advise.
Get in touch today for a free quote. Or just ask us a question.
