11/05/2026
Today’s report from Sky News shines a light on a growing global health crisis linked to high-silica quartz worktops and the devastating impact respirable silica dust is having on fabricators and stone workers worldwide.
Silicosis is an irreversible lung disease caused by inhaling crystalline silica dust during the cutting and fabrication process. Cases are rising across the UK, Australia, Europe and the US, with workers in their 20s and 30s already suffering life-changing health consequences.
This is exactly why more homeowners, designers and fabricators are now turning to solid surface materials as a safer alternative.
Unlike engineered quartz, solid surface contains no crystalline silica, meaning there is no silica dust risk associated with fabrication. That makes it a far safer option for the people manufacturing, installing and working with it every single day.
But the benefits don’t stop there 👇
✔️ Seamless joins for a cleaner, luxury finish
✔️ Repairable and renewable surfaces
✔️ Non-porous and hygienic
✔️ Thermoformable for bespoke curved designs
✔️ Easier fabrication and installation
✔️ Lower risk to workers during manufacture and fitting
Beautiful kitchens should never come at the cost of someone’s health.
As awareness grows around the dangers of silica exposure, the industry has a responsibility to look at safer, smarter alternatives — and solid surface is leading that conversation.
On home renovation accounts on social media, quartz worktops are everywhere - but behind these glitzy makeovers is a hidden shame. People who work behind the scenes, cutting and polishing them, are dying from an incurable disease you've probably never heard of.
