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TRANSCRIPT

000:00 Brought to You by TAB Quartz
00:18 Intro
00:28 ISFA Presents Solution for Calif. Silicosis Crisis
03:04 A Word from TAB Quartz
04:14 Federal Silicosis Liability Waiver Gets a Hearing
06:59 Brazil Natural-Stone Exports Set New Records
08:57 American Countertop Manufacturers Council Announced
10:39 Worldwide Suppliers at Xiamen Stone Fair 2026
12:07  U.K. Fabricators Start Safety Mark
14:05 2026 Caesarstone Circle Debuts00
15:06 Outro
15:35 Brought to You by TAB Quartz

00:18

Hi, I’m K. Schipper with the latest in hard surface industry news from Radio Stone Update.

00:28

The battle over the crystalline silica in engineered stone continues in California. Late last year a physicians’ group petitioned state regulators to ban manmade materials with more than 1% crystalline silica, and those regulators heard an industry-based counterproposal in Sacramento earlier this month.

The December petition, presented by the Western Occupational & Environmental Medical Association (WOEMA) to the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board calls for a complete ban on the fabrication of crystalline-silica-based engineered stone in the state.

However, an alternate proposal submitted January 15 by the International Surface Fabricators Association (ISFA) to certify shop safety and control slab distribution generated favor among industry representatives. The ISFA proposal would implement a four-phase program over three years, according to Laurie Weber, ISFA CEO.

“It’s a phased roll-out process where we can control and measure the results fast,” she explained. “We believe that bans happen when systems fail, and we’re here to help fix the system.”

The first phase – to be completed by July 31 – would involve development of certifications, including safety training, for fabrication shops, suppliers and distributors. A pilot program would first be implemented in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties, with plans to have it in place statewide by April 2027.

However, Dr. Robert Blink, a past president of WOEMA, said workplace health professionals see that restrictions placed by the board in January 2025 on crystalline-silica-based products are insufficient. Blink added that information his group has gotten since that time shows the material is more toxic than initially believed, and that the ISFA’s proposed 15-month timeline would allow 62 more workers to develop silicosis.

An attorney representing approximately 500 fabrication-worker clients says they support the WOEMA ban and oppose the ISFA proposal. One of the questions from board members on the ISFA proposal focuses on the participation from fabrication workers directly handling the material.

Board chair Joseph M. Alioto, Jr. said the issue will be difficult to solve, and he acknowledged the concerns of both fabricators and shop owners. “I think you nailed it on the head about the need for collaboration to figure out a solution to this,” he concluded.

04:14

Across the country in Washington, a proposed federal regulation to limit liability in stone-related silicosis cases got its first public hearing earlier this month … and, like everything else in the nation’s capital, there was no consensus.

H.R. 5437 – entitled the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Stone Slab Safety Products – got an airing before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence and the Internet on January 14.

The measure would exempt sellers of natural or manmade stone-slab products from liability lawsuits related to harm caused by fabrication. The bill would not only prohibit future filings in federal and state courts but also dismiss any pending lawsuits.

Currently there are hundreds of lawsuits being filed by workers developing silicosis after inhaling crystalline-silica particles when fabricating quartz surfaces. While many of the cases have been filed against shop owners, defendant lists have expanded to include slab-supply-chain vendors, including distributors, manufacturers, and quarriers.

Industry representatives appearing before the subcommittee agreed that silicosis is an often-fatal lung disease, but they said current legal actions are overreaching in assessing liability.

Jim Hieb, CEO of the Natural Stone Institute, gave several examples of that overreach, from a California distributor facing 45 pending lawsuits with rising litigation costs and double insurance premiums to a New Jersey distributor with no pending legal actions that’s still had his insurance coverage dropped, and a Utah stone quarrier facing 20 lawsuits in California, even though he doesn’t sell his products in the state.

And, Gary Talwar, vice president of Natural Stone Resources in Anaheim, Calif., told the subcommittee his company now faces 65 silica lawsuits, even though it doesn’t sell to fabricators. He said the suits have the potential to put him out of business.

Also testifying was Dr. David Michels, an epidemiologist and former Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health. During his term, OSHA tightened its regulations concerning worker crystalline-silica exposure.

Dr. Michaels opposed H.R.5437 on the grounds of worker safety, and he cited Australia as an example where the country’s health ministers banned the use of crystalline-silica-based surfaces and manufacturers developed products using alternative materials.

“We shouldn’t be discussing immunity from litigation. We should be discussing banning this product to make it safe for workers, and that would protect the manufacturers and the distributors, as well,” Dr. Michaels said.

06:59

The Brazilian stone industry ended 2025 with a bang, setting a record in exports. The Brazilian Natural Stone Association – Centrorochas – reports an all-time performance high, which reached $1.48 billion U.S. in exports, a 17.5% increase from 2024. The figure also surpasses the previous record set in 2021.

Besides revenue growth, there was also an increase in the volume reported. Foreign sales in 2025 totaled 2.11 million metric tons, for an increase of 2.9% from 2024, despite the 14.2% rise in the average export price. 

“These figures are impressive, especially considering they were achieved during a challenging year, marked by the tariff hike, which caused significant decreases in exports of granite, marble and slate,” says Tales Machado, the president of Centrorochas.

Machado postulates that if the sales performance of those materials had remained the same as in the first half of the year, revenues would have reached close to $1.6 billion in 2025.

He notes that the volume of granite exported in 2025 dropped by 8.7%, and marble sales were reduced 7.5% during the same period. However, those declines were offset by the growth of other materials, such as quartzite.

The United States remains the main destination for Brazilian natural stone, accounting for 53.6% of exports. U.S. revenue of $795 million was an increase of 11.8% from 2024.  However, China’s share of Brazilian exports rose 17.5%, and the cash value of those sales increased 19%, to $260.1 million US. Italy, Mexico, the United Kingdom and Spain rounded out the top six markets for Brazil.

08:57

The International Surface Fabricators Association (ISFA) announces the launch of the American Countertop Manufacturers Council (ACMC).

The new industry council has been created to provide countertop manufacturers and fabricators with a transparent, documented and legally sound process for collaboration, issue resolution and consensus-based decision-making.

Administered by ISFA, the ACMC was established to ensure that the countertop and surface fabrication industry has a single, organized forum to submit industry issues; review regulatory and legislative developments; document objections and concerns, and; adopt formal industry positions through due process.

“ACMC is about structure, accountability and giving industry a credible, organized voice,” says Laurie Weber, CEO of ISFA. “This council creates a formal pathway for manufacturers and fabricators to engage in real issues – before decisions are made for us.”

The first item on which the ACMC is requesting feedback is H.R. 5437, which would protect manufacturers and sellers of stone slab products from being held liable for injuries caused by silica exposure that occurs during fabrication activities.

If you’re a current ISFA member, no additional ACMC membership fees are required. However, you must still apply to participate on the ACMC committee to ensure proper documentation. For more information, go to www.isfanow.org/acmc.

10:39

Registration is now open for the 26th China Xiamen International Stone Fair, and organizers are stressing the international flavor of what’s expected to bring more than 150,000 industry professionals from around the world to Xiamen March 16 to19.

The international area will span Halls A3-A6 and Hall W in the outdoor area. As with the rest of the exhibition, those spaces will serve as a showcase for natural stone, stone-tech innovations and feature participants from major stone exporting and manufacturing countries.

Among the foreign countries expected to have a significant presence at Xiamen are:

  • Turkiye, with 23 companies organized by the Aegean Natural Stones and Minerals Exporters’ Association;
  • Italy, where Confindustria Marmomacchine will again host 40 of the best-known and most-reliable producers of marble, granite, natural stone, machinery, tools and complementary products;
  • Tuscany, exhibiting separately from the Italian pavilion and bringing 17 companies from that historic stone region; and
  • Brazil, which is also bringing 23 exhibiting companies courtesy of the Brazilian Natural Stone Association, Centrorochas, and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Industry ApexBrasil.

For more information or to register, go to www.stonefair.org.cn.

12:07

From London, the Worktop Fabricators’ Federation (WFF) has launched a new industry quality mark designed to help consumers, designers, retailers and specifiers identify kitchen worktops and surfaces that have been fabricated safely, without risking workers’ health.

The WFF is a non-profit organization representing businesses that use industrial fabrication to create surfaces from large format slabs of natural stone and manmade materials. Its mission is to promote professionalism within the fabrication and masonry sectors, with a focus on best practices and workplace health and safety policies while acting as a unified voice for the industry on matters of industry-wide importance.

The move comes amid rising cases of silicosis linked to unsafe working practices. It aims to distinguish responsible businesses committed to safety, professionalism and quality from those that compromise standards and endanger the workforce.

Built on regular independent workplace assessments conducted by professionally registered occupational hygienists, the quality mark focuses on the recognition, evaluation and control of workplace health hazards.

Accredited businesses will also commit to enhanced health surveillance aligned with new clinical recommendations for early detection of respiratory risk. Companies’ accreditation status will be clearly displayed and easily verified via the WFF website.

Participating fabricators must commit to robust management systems and processes designed to prevent hazardous exposure, monitor workers’ health and ensure comprehensive training and awareness of the dangers associated with poor practices.

The accreditation aligns with the British Occupational Hygiene Society and the Health and Safety Executive guidance on working with high-silica materials. The requirement for independent occupational hygiene assessments of control effectiveness is a first for British manufacturing.

14:05

And, Caesarstone announces the 2026 Caesarstone Circle, a bi-annual program that recognizes a select group of design professionals who are shaping the future of interior design.

The members are chosen not only for their creative excellence and industry influence, but also for their ability to inspire others through intentional, expressive and technically thoughtful design. The five new members are Sara Malek Barney, Hill Rondero, Matthew Quinn, Jessica David, and Jennifer Hutton.

Lindsey Waldrep, vice president of marketing for Caesarstone, says the company champions creators who set the pace of the industry and infuse every space with vision, emotion and depth.

Over the years, the Caesarstone Circle has partnered with designers who influence not just what’s trending now but what’s next. Waldrep says she looks forward to the input the 2026 Circle will have on new product development while representing the greater design community in feedback to Caesarstone.

15:06

Remember, the latest issue of Stone Update Magazine is now available at www.stonemag.com. For a transcript of this podcast, go to www.radiostoneupdate.com. I’m K. Schipper for Radio Stone Update, and we’ll see you here again soon.