WASHINGTON (Jan. 13, 2025)-Lawmakers will hear about an epidemic of new cases of a lung disease among workers who fabricate kitchen counters made from artificial stone on Jan. 14. The California Department of Public Health has reported nearly 500 cases of the disease, called silicosis, including 27 deaths and 52 cases of lung transplants in that state alone.
Massachusetts recently issued a safety alert after a new case was reported there and experts say many more cases across the country are expected because of the popularity of artificial stone used in kitchen renovations.
The hearing, “Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Protecting the U.S. Stone Slab Industry from Lawfare,” will be held on Wednesday starting at 10 am. The hearing is focused on a new bill introduced in the House that would ban all federal and state litigation by workers with silicosis against manufacturers of these artificial stone slabs.
David Michaels, a professor at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University and an expert on silicosis and other workplace hazards, will testify before the committee and is available for media interviews on the subject.
The bill recently introduced in the House would exempt artificial stone manufacturers from lawsuits but it would mean many workers around the US would get sick as a result, Michaels said.
“Manufacturers of artificial stone sell a product they know will kill some workers and disable many more,” Michaels said. “Recognizing this work cannot be done safely, Australia has banned the product. To stop this epidemic, we must do he same.”
Michaels served as the Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) from 2009 to 2017 and was the longest serving administrator in the agency’s history.
To schedule an interview with David Michaels please contact Kathy Fackelmann at kfackelmann
gwu [dot] edu.