LA Considers Safety Rules To Combat Rising Silicosis Rates

The Los Angeles City Council will consider requiring more protections for workers who are at risk of developing silicosis, an ancient lung disease that primarily affects synthetic countertop fabricators in Southern California.

Councilmember Imelda Padilla’s office said recent reporting by a coalition of newsrooms, including LAist, that exposed how serious this disease is in the San Fernando Valley and prompted her to act.

When workers cut synthetic stone countertops, tiny silica particles are released into the air. When inhaled, they settle in the lungs and over time can lead to suffocation and result in death.

How we got here

A Public Health Watch, LAist and Univision story in 2022 revealed that the disease had struck at least 30 Latino men since 2016. Since the report, a study by University of California, San Francisco and University of California, Los Angeles revealed that 52 people were diagnosed with the disease mostly from 2016 to 2022. Fifty one of them were Latino and 10 people died from the disease within that time frame.

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What do the city council motions aim to achieve?

Introduced by council members Padilla, Bob Blumenfield, and Monica Rodriguez on Wednesday, one of the motions looks to reduce workers' exposure to silica.

In December, Cal/OSHA implemented a temporary standard for countertop cutting businesses. It required that companies use water jet cutting machine technology so the silica particles are captured by water rather than being released into the air. The motion instructs the Bureau of Sanitation to create a mandatory wastewater permit for businesses who fabricate countertops to ensure they comply with Cal/OSHA standards.

The motion also asks the Department of Building and Safety to include the temporary standards for silicosis in their construction permits, informing customers about the risks of using silica products in construction.

In the second motion, the council members directed multiple city departments to create a public awareness campaign about the risk of using engineered, synthetic products with silica. They also asked the city Health Commission for recommendations on how to regulate the use of silica heavy materials.

The motions will now go before city committees.

What about the resolution?

The three council members also introduced a resolution in support of Assemblymember Luz Rivas’ AB 3043, which seeks to ban dry methods of cutting the synthetic stone, create training programs for workers on safe practices and introduce a license for fabrication shops to ensure they comply with workplace safety standards.