For those of us who sell stone, we know it's a big deal to safely handle and store materials, because the products we work with every day are heavy and dangerous. That’s why the safety of workers and visitors should always be the top priority.

Even if a business has an established safety plan, rules and procedures must be followed for them to be effective.

Safety should always be at the forefront when moving slabs around a warehouse, fabrication shop or on the jobsite. Whether transporting the large, heavy pieces of stone or quartz manually or with a forklift or crane, following safety procedures is a must.

Safety should always be at the forefront – whether in the fabrication shop or on the jobsite. Manufacturers continue to develop products that not only make handling slabs and other large stone pieces safer, but also help to increase production and installation efficiency.

We can never talk too much about shop safety and the proper procedures that are necessary for handling slabs. Unfortunately, from time to time, we hear about a tragic fatality that most likely could have been prevented if more attention was paid to the handling process. Because safety should be considered with the upmost importance, Stone World makes it a focal point once a year. But for those working with slabs, safety should be a daily reminder.

Caesarstone, one of the world’s foremost manufacturer of quartz surfaces is proud to lead the safety standard for the industry with the launch of MASTERS OF STONE. The extensive program was created for fabricators and their employees and it focuses on issues of health and safety in the workplace with a special emphasis on creating a space free of the dangers of potentially hazardous Respirable Crystalline Silica dust, the root cause of Silicosis.

The Natural Stone Institute, in coordination with the National Building Granite Quarries Association (NBGQA), has added three toolbox talks for quarriers to the Natural Stone University.

The Natural Stone Institute has many resources available online to help combat the threat of silicosis and ensure safe slab handling. All safety resources are available free of charge courtesy of the Natural Stone Institute Safety Committee.