A growing number of stonemasons in the United Kingdom have been diagnosed with silicosis, a serious and incurable lung disease linked to the cutting of quartz kitchen worktops. Medical experts and lawmakers warn that the number of affected workers could be significantly higher than current estimates, prompting calls for a national screening programme to address the emerging public health crisis.

Since mid-2023, more than 50 cases of silicosis have been confirmed among UK quartz stonemasons, many of whom are in their twenties or thirties. At least four workers known to have contracted the disease have died. Dr. Jo Feary, a leading respiratory consultant at the Royal Brompton Hospital, who treats approximately 80 percent of diagnosed cases in the UK, emphasized the urgent need for early detection. She noted that screening initiatives in countries such as New Zealand and Australia—where quartz kitchen worktops have been banned since 2024—found silicosis in 12 to 29 percent of screened workers, suggesting that the UK’s official counts likely underestimate the scale of the problem.

“With screening, at least 10 percent of any exposed workforce have disease,” Feary said, highlighting the risk to roughly 7,000 workers in the UK industry. Recent analyses estimate that over 1,000 UK workers could be suffering from silicosis. The youngest patient Dr. Feary is treating is just 23 years old, and some were diagnosed with silicosis after only a year of exposure. Migrant workers account for 60 percent of cases, and family clusters have been reported where multiple members working together developed the condition.

The rise in silicosis among quartz stonemasons has been met with criticism over the government’s response. An All-Party Parliamentary Group on Respiratory Health described the situation as a “serial failing” of UK authorities to adequately protect workers from hazardous silica dust. Kevin Bampton, chief executive of the British Occupational Hygiene Society, compared safety standards to ancient times, saying that some today had less respiratory protection than Roman slaves. He called for stronger enforcement, particularly as some small businesses have cited operational challenges as reasons for failing to implement necessary safeguards.

In response to the growing concern, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) last month introduced its first regulatory guidance targeting the engineered stone sector. It banned “dry cutting” of quartz without water suppression systems and mandated that “wet cutting” is the legal standard to minimize dust exposure.

Globally, about 6,000 cases of silicosis related to engineered stone have been identified across 12 countries. The UK’s emerging outbreak underscores the need for coordinated public health interventions to protect workers from the life-threatening risks posed by silica dust inhalation. Without comprehensive screening and stricter workplace controls, experts fear many more cases may go undiagnosed and untreated.