Silica Safety and Trends
In the penultimate Stone Industry Education event of the year, Mark Meriaux of the Natural Stone Institute covered silica to a packed audience in Seattle, WA
In front of more than 70 attendees, Mark Meriaux, Natural Stone Institute (NSI) technical manager, lead the discussion on material trends and safety during a Stone Industry Education (SIE) event hosted by MSI at its Kent, WA, facility on Thursday, October 10, 2024. The audience was particularly interested in the possible fallout from the silica laws that are happening in California. Meriaux explained how they can prepare themselves and their business.
“This is serious,” said Meriaux. “Silica is a very serious disease because there is no cure for it. Cutting wet is the biggest way to reduce silica, but it doesn’t guarantee safety by itself. It’s important to also note what kind of material you are cutting -- what is very high in silica versus not as much.”
Meriaux pointed out that it is also important to note some companies are replacing their silica content in their product with non-silica. He advised the fabricators to keep up-to-date on the products they are carrying.
“Also, quartzite is very high in silica,” he said. “It is roughly 95% quartz silica in the product, even though quartzite is a stone product. When you cut the product and it dries and then is a dust, that dust can be kicked up and get into your lungs and cause irreversible damage.”
Another conversation during the SIE event, which is organized by Stone World and the Natural Stone Institute, turned to trends. Ian Goewey, an MSI team leader, led a discussion of what he is seeing in the Washington area in regards to construction and commercial business -- focusing primarily on labor, materials and business challenges. He mentioned how 2022 was a strong year for the area and hopes to see that trend continue in the future.
The day ended with breakout groups delving into topics pertaining to marketing, business and machinery issues people may be having in the shop. The discussions covered a variety of issues the fabricators are struggling with, including how much to spend on marketing, dealing with customers and products to help their shop.
The final SIE event of the year takes place November 7th at Arizona Tile’s facility in Dallas TX.
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