Inside the Silicosis Epidemic that's Killing Countertop Stonecutters: ‘My Lungs Had Nothing Left’

Inside the silicosis epidemic that's killing countertop stonecutters: ‘My lungs had nothing left’

This article was produced by Capital & Main. It is published here with permission. For more than 15 years, Oscar worked nearly seven days a week in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, cutting and polishing stone countertops for kitchens and bathrooms. He didn’t know the engineered stone he was fabricating was rapidly killing him. At the age of 45, Oscar began to have difficulty breathing. He felt extremely tired and weak, unable to lift the …

Lung Disease Rising Among Countertop Workers

Lung Disease Rising Among Countertop Workers

Inside the silicosis epidemic that’s killing countertop stonecutters: ‘My lungs had nothing left’

This article was produced by Capital & Main. It is published here with permission. For more than 15 years, Oscar worked nearly seven days a week in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, cutting and polishing stone countertops for kitchens and bathrooms. He didn’t know the engineered stone he was fabricating was rapidly killing him. At the age of 45, Oscar began to have difficulty breathing. He felt extremely tired and weak, unable to lift the …