May 1, 2026 · 16 min · 14 segments
Every day, millions of workers around the world go to work knowing their job is hard. But no one should go to work knowing it might slowly take their breath away. Across the United States and Canada…
[on-hold music] Silicosis happens when workers inhale respirable crystalline silica dust or microscopic particles created when materials like rock, sand, and quartz are cut or crushed.
Symptoms range from shortness of breath and chronic cough to fatigue and progressive lung failure.
But today, the disease is emerging in new industries, including countertop fabrication, where engineered stone can contain more than ninety percent silica.
Hundreds of workers in the US alone have developed severe lung disease in recent years from cutting engineered stone, with dozens of deaths and many requiring lung transplants.
[on-hold music] Silicosis happens when workers inhale respirable crystalline silica dust or microscopic particles created when materials like rock, sand, and quartz are cut or crushed.
Symptoms range from shortness of breath and chronic cough to fatigue and progressive lung failure.
But today, the disease is emerging in new industries, including countertop fabrication, where engineered stone can contain more than ninety percent silica.
Hundreds of workers in the US alone have developed severe lung disease in recent years from cutting engineered stone, with dozens of deaths and many requiring lung transplants.
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