National Emphasis Program – Respirable Crystalline Silica

In September 2023, OSHA launched a new initiative focused on enhancing enforcement and providing compliance assistance to protect workers in the engineered stone fabrication and installation industries.

This program prioritizes federal OSHA inspectors to identify and ensure prompt abatement of hazards in the industry.

Who Is Impacted?

Companies engaged in the Cut Stone and Stone Product Manufacturing industry (NAICS Code 327991). OSHA provided each Area Office with target lists for inspections and will conduct a minimum of five programmed inspections of establishments working with engineered stone within 12 months of the initiative.

Focus of Programmed Inspections

Cutting, grinding, chipping, sanding, drilling and polishing engineered or manufactured stone products
Opening bags of ground quartz, moving or mixing bulk raw materials, cleaning and scraping mixers, or cleaning dust collector bag houses
Changing filters on dust collectors
Making the engineered or cultured slabs
Operating powered hand tools
Casting department that mixes and heats raw materials including silica sand
Finishing/installing engineered or stone manufactured stone products off-site