New engineered stone safety manuals give fabricators and installers practical guidance for controlling silica exposure

Stone industry consultant and author Frederick M. Hueston has released two new professional manuals addressing workplace safety in engineered stone fabrication and installation.

The first book is Working Safely with (Quartz) Engineered Stone: Practical Safety for Identifying Hazards, Reducing Respirable Crystalline Silica Exposure, and Improving Safety in Fabrication Shops and on Installation Jobsites. The manual covers wet cutting, local exhaust ventilation, respiratory protection, exposure monitoring, housekeeping, employee hygiene, machine safety, slab handling, transportation, training, emergency planning, medical surveillance, and regulatory responsibilities.

Its companion volume, Working Safely with Engineered Stone: Forms, Checklists, and Program Templates, helps companies put those safety principles into practice. It contains customizable documents for hazard assessments, employee training, silica exposure-control plans, air-monitoring records, respirator programs, equipment inspections, housekeeping, slab movement, jobsite safety, incident investigation, medical-surveillance tracking, and recordkeeping.

“Stone shops don’t need another safety book that sits untouched on a shelf,” Hueston said. “They need clear information they can use in the shop, along with forms that help them document training, inspections, exposure controls, equipment maintenance, and corrective actions.”

Engineered stone can contain high levels of crystalline silica. Cutting, grinding, drilling, and polishing the material may release respirable particles capable of causing silicosis, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), kidney disease, and other serious health problems.

Although the books focus on engineered stone, many of the practices and documents may also be adapted for natural stone fabrication and installation. Granite, quartzite, sandstone, slate, and other natural materials may contain crystalline silica and involve many of the same machinery, handling, and jobsite hazards.

The manuals are intended for fabrication shop owners, managers, supervisors, safety professionals, countertop installers, restoration contractors, industry trainers, consultants, and others responsible for stone industry workplace safety.

The forms and checklists are supplied as customizable templates. Original purchasers may reproduce and modify them for internal use within their own companies or organizations.

Visit www.stoneandtilebooks.com to purchase.

*These books don’t replace workplace evaluations, professional industrial hygiene services, medical advice, legal guidance, or current federal, state, and local requirements.

About Frederick M. Hueston

Frederick M. Hueston has more than 45 years of experience in the stone industry and is the founder of Stone Forensics. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical and Physical Science from the University of Central Florida and has written more than 40 books and hundreds of technical articles on stone, tile, inspection, restoration, and workplace safety. Hueston also hosts The Stone and Tile Show podcast and conducts the “Stone and Tile Inspection and Troubleshooting Seminar.” His work combines technical knowledge with practical lessons gathered from decades of consulting in fabrication shops and on jobsites.