Artificial stone-associated silicosis in Belgium

We read with interest the article by Hoy et al reporting silicosis in seven Australian workers fabricating artificial stone countertops,1 and the letter by Barber et al who could not identify cases in the UK.2 We describe two cases of silicosis in workers employed in a two-man company producing and installing artificial stone kitchen countertops.

The first worker made the countertops by mixing epoxy resin, gravel, sand, pigment and quartz flour (99.4% quartz; 10% of the particles <5 µm, 50% <30 µm, according to the technical data sheet). Approximately 200 kg of quartz flour were used weekly. After curing, the countertops were dry cut, ground and polished. No dust measurements were made. The worker occasionally used a dust mask. He underwent periodic occupational health examination, however, without chest X-ray. In earlier jobs, he had had no silica exposure. In 2015, at age 41, after 9.5 years of employment, he had dry...

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