Episode 9: 600+ Doctors Petition Cal-OSHA to Ban Artificial Stone

Podcast: From Dust to Verdict
Host: James Nevin, Partner at Brayton Purcell LLP

In this timely, urgent episode, host James Nevin reports on breaking developments from the December 18, 2025 Cal-OSHA Standards Board hearing, where the Western Occupational and Environmental Medicine Association (WOEMA) formally petitioned for an immediate ban on artificial stone slabs containing more than 1% crystalline silica.

Nevin explains why WOEMA—a coalition of over 600 occupational medicine physicians across seven western states—believes that California’s current regulations have failed to stop the epidemic of accelerated silicosis among artificial stone countertop fabrication workers. Drawing on extensive peer-reviewed research and surveillance data, the episode details how high-silica artificial stone’s unique composition of nano-sized crystalline silica, VOCs, and trace metals makes it impossible for human beings to fabricate safely, even with strict engineering controls.

Listeners will learn:

• Why WOEMA is calling for urgent revision of 8 CCR § 5204 to prohibit artificial stone fabrication and installation.
• How the 2023 Emergency Temporary Standard and SB 20 fell short in addressing this crisis.
• Evidence from over 100 studies and California’s surveillance dashboard showing 450 cases and 25 deaths, with workers as young as 24, that demonstrate the need for immediate action.
• Why Australia’s nationwide ban on engineered stone offers a proven model for California and the U.S.
• The availability of safer alternatives—such as recycled glass and natural stone—that match artificial stone in quality and cost without endangering workers’ lives.

Through this episode, Nevin underscores a critical truth: eliminating toxic crystalline silica artificial stone slabs is the only effective way to prevent further cases of fatal silicosis among countertop fabrication workers.

Listen to and watch “ 600+ Doctors Petition Cal-OSHA to Ban Artificial Stone” to understand the life-or-death stakes of this petition and what it means for the future of the countertop industry.

(For Spanish-speaking listeners, a Spanish-language version of this podcast is available, Del polvo al veredicto, hosted by Brayton Purcell LLP attorney Charley Velasco Ariza.)