A major crackdown has been launched on the cutting of engineered stone used in kitchen worktops following concerns over exposure to deadly silica dust.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has banned dry cutting and says safer water suppression methods must now be used to control harmful dust.
More than 1,000 inspections are being rolled out across Great Britain to enforce the new guidance.
Unsafe cutting method banned
The HSE has confirmed that dry cutting engineered stone is unacceptable, warning that it can expose workers to dangerous levels of respirable crystalline silica (RCS), a dust linked to the lung disease silicosis.
The regulator says businesses must now switch to safer methods such as water suppression systems, which reduce dust during cutting and fabrication.
Mike Calcutt, from the HSE, said the risks are clear: “Silicosis is incurable, but it is entirely preventable. No worker should lose their life to a lung disease caused by their job.”
He added that some firms are still failing to meet basic safety standards: “Many businesses are not putting the right controls in place, they are still using engineered stone with high silica content, and dry cutting, which must stop.”
This decision follows previous calls to ban kitchen worktops made from artificial stone.
Nationwide inspections underway
The HSE has begun a large inspection programme targeting businesses that manufacture and fit engineered stone kitchen worktops.
Over the next year, inspectors will carry out more than 1,000 visits across Great Britain, with enforcement action expected for companies that fail to comply.
Mike Calcutt warned employers that checks are already happening: “The guidance is now published, the expectations are clear, and our inspectors are coming.”
Inspectors will assess whether businesses are using approved dust controls, providing protective equipment, and meeting legal safety duties.
Some companies have already taken their own significant action, with Herringbone becoming the first UK kitchen company to ban high-silica quartz.
Why action is being taken
Engineered stone, widely used in kitchen worktops, can contain up to 95% crystalline silica. When cut or shaped, it can release fine dust that can be deeply inhaled.
The HSE says recent cases, including the deaths of two young workers from silicosis, have highlighted the severity of the risk and prompted urgent intervention.
Sir Stephen Timms, Minister for Social Security and Disability, said: “Every worker deserves to come home safe, without fear of losing their life to a preventable, deadly lung disease caused by their job.”
The regulator says the new rules aim to prevent further cases by ensuring safer working practices become standard across the industry.
