Dry cutting of stone and stone-like materials can give rise to high levels of respirable crystalline silica (RCS), and this can lead to severe health problems for employees.  Don’t be fooled; even wet cutting cannot control dust levels – you will always need a face-fitted FFP3 mask.  You might not be able to see the dust, but it’s there – we’ve air sampled it and proved that beyond all doubt.  If you need air sampling for respirable crystalline silica (RCS) or awareness sessions for staff working with these substances, please contact us or request a call back.  If you are an existing Safety~net subscriber, please contact us for further help and support.

HSE Targets Engineered Stone Dust Risks with New Crackdown on Dry Cutting

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has announced a significant enforcement campaign targeting businesses working with engineered stone, following growing concern over workers developing silicosis and other life-changing respiratory illnesses linked to silica dust exposure.

This comes alongside updated HSE guidance making it explicitly clear that dry cutting of engineered stone is unacceptable. Inspectors are now set to carry out more than 1,000 inspections across Great Britain over the next 12 months, with enforcement action expected where businesses fail to control exposure risks adequately.

Why Engineered Stone Presents a Serious Risk

Engineered stone, commonly used for kitchen worktops and interior surfaces, often contains very high levels of crystalline silica — in some cases up to 95%. When materials are cut, ground or polished, respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust is released into the air. These microscopic particles can penetrate deep into the lungs. (HSE)

Exposure to RCS has long been associated with:

• Silicosis
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Lung cancer
• Permanent and irreversible lung damage

One of the major concerns highlighted by occupational health specialists is that damage can occur long before symptoms become noticeable. In many cases, silicosis continues to progress even after exposure has stopped. (HSE)

International concern over engineered stone has intensified in recent years. Australia has already introduced a national ban on engineered stone products because of rising numbers of severe silicosis cases among younger workers.

HSE’s Key Message: Dry Cutting Must Stop

The latest HSE guidance leaves little room for interpretation. Dry cutting engineered stone creates dramatically higher levels of airborne silica dust than wet-cutting methods.

Research referenced by HSE found that dry fabrication can generate respirable crystalline silica exposure levels five to ten times higher than equivalent wet-cutting processes.

The regulator is therefore directing duty holders towards:

• Water suppression systems
• Effective local exhaust ventilation (LEV)
• Powered air purifying respirators (PAPR)
• Routine health surveillance
• Enhanced housekeeping arrangements
• Lower silica-content stone products where possible

These measures are not optional recommendations — they sit firmly within employers’ legal duties under COSHH regulations. (HSE)

Increased Enforcement Activity Across the Sector

The announcement signals a clear shift towards proactive enforcement within the stonemasonry and worktop fabrication industries.

HSE inspectors have already begun visits and will focus heavily on whether businesses are:

• Preventing dry cutting activities
• Adequately controlling airborne silica exposure
• Providing suitable respiratory protective equipment (RPE)
• Carrying out health surveillance
• Maintaining effective cleaning regimes
• Training workers appropriately

Where standards fall short, enforcement notices and prosecutions are likely.

This follows several recent enforcement cases involving poor silica dust controls. In one high-profile prosecution, a stone company was fined after inspectors identified widespread failures to manage hazardous dust exposure within the workplace. (press.hse.gov.uk)

What Employers Should Be Doing Now

For organisations involved in fabrication, installation or processing of engineered stone, this latest HSE intervention should act as an immediate trigger for review.

Key priorities include:

• Reviewing Risk Assessments
  • Employers should revisit COSHH assessments specifically relating to respirable crystalline silica exposure and ensure they reflect current working practices.
• Eliminating Dry Processing
  • Any remaining dry cutting, grinding or polishing activities should be stopped immediately unless a robust justification and effective controls are demonstrably in place.
• Verifying Existing Controls
  • LEV systems, wet suppression equipment and RPE arrangements should be tested, maintained and monitored regularly to confirm they remain effective.
• Introducing Health Surveillance
  • Where workers are regularly exposed to silica dust, suitable respiratory health surveillance should be in place.
• Delivering Competent Training
  • Employees must understand:
  • The risks associated with silica dust
  • Correct use of controls and RPE
  • Cleaning procedures
  • Reporting requirements

A Wider Occupational Health Wake-Up Call

The renewed focus on engineered stone also reflects a broader shift within health and safety enforcement towards occupational disease prevention.

Historically, workplace health risks have often received less attention than immediate safety hazards. However, regulators are increasingly targeting long-latency illnesses such as occupational lung disease, with silica exposure remaining one of the most significant construction-related health risks in the UK. (HSE)

For many businesses, the challenge is no longer simply having controls on paper — it is demonstrating that those controls are genuinely effective in practice.

Businesses operating within the engineered stone sector should expect increasing scrutiny throughout 2026 and beyond. The message from HSE is clear: if silica dust risks are not being properly controlled, enforcement action will follow. (UKATA)