Cutting Engineered Stone
New HSE Guidance on Cutting Engineered Stone: What Businesses Need to Do Now
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has released significant new guidance for businesses involved in engineered stone fabrication, and the message is clear: dry cutting engineered stone must stop.
At Richardson-Hill, we work closely with businesses across construction, manufacturing, engineering, and high-risk industries to help them manage workplace health and safety risks properly. The latest HSE intervention around silica dust is one of the most important occupational health developments we have seen in recent years.
For businesses working with engineered stone, quartz, granite, and similar materials, this guidance is not simply best practice, it is a clear signal that enforcement action is coming for companies failing to control respirable crystalline silica (RCS) exposure effectively.
Why the New HSE Guidance Matters
The key issue behind the updated guidance is silica dust exposure.
Engineered stone is a man-made composite material composed of 90–95% crushed natural stone (usually quartz) bound together by polymer resins and pigments. It is widely used for applications such as kitchen countertops, backsplashes, and bathroom vanities due to its durability and consistent appearance.
It contains extremely high levels of crystalline silica and when dry cut, ground, polished, or drilled, fine airborne dust particles are released into the working environment. These particles are small enough to enter deep into the lungs, where long-term exposure can cause devastating health conditions.
These include:
- Silicosis
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Lung cancer
- Kidney disease
- Long-term respiratory illness
What makes this particularly serious is that silicosis is incurable – but entirely preventable.
The HSE’s latest guidance follows years of industry research and engagement, including investigations linked to fatalities caused by silica-related disease.
Why Was New Guidance on Dry Cutting Engineered Stone Necessary?
The deaths of two young workers from silicosis in recent years prompted calls for action on engineered stone cutting from MPs, trade unions, and medical professionals.
Last year the tragic deaths of two young workers made headlines. The furore around this galvanised calls for action from the Medical Profession, MPs, and Trade Unions.
A Polish stonemason interviewed on Channel 4 shortly before his death spoke about engineered stone dust’s potency and working in a ‘tornado’ of dust, with only a mask and no extractor for protection. “It’s important for me to speak out. This illness is just the beginning,” he said. “I’m sure more people will fall ill.”
He died from acute silicosis traced back to his exposure while making and cutting kitchen worktops in the UK – he had come to the UK from Poland, and his exposure happened during that time, over at least three years.
Dry Cutting Engineered Stone Is Now Totally Unacceptable
The most important takeaway from the new guidance is straightforward:
Dry cutting engineered stone is now considered unacceptable due to the risks associated with respirable crystalline silica exposure.
The HSE has made it clear that water suppression and wet-cutting methods are now expected as standard control measures.
Research has shown that wet fabrication methods can reduce airborne respirable crystalline silica levels by between five and ten times compared with dry cutting processes.
For employers, this means reviewing existing fabrication and cutting procedures immediately.
Businesses continuing to use dry cutting methods without suitable controls will now almost certainly face serious enforcement action.
Over 1,000 HSE Inspections Planned
The HSE has confirmed it will carry out more than 1,000 inspections of stone fabricators and related businesses across the UK over the next 12 months.
Inspectors are expected to focus heavily on:
- Wet-cutting controls and water suppression systems
- Dust extraction and local exhaust ventilation (LEV)
- COSHH assessments
- Respiratory protective equipment (RPE)
- Face fit testing
- Health surveillance programmes
- Worker training and awareness
- General silica dust management procedures
From our perspective as a health and safety consultancy, businesses should not underestimate how seriously this issue is now being treated.
This is no longer an area where minimum compliance will be enough.
A Bigger Shift Towards Occupational Health Enforcement
One of the biggest challenges we still see across industry is that occupational health risks often receive less attention than immediate safety hazards.
Many companies have improved significantly in managing accident prevention, but long-term exposure risks such as silica dust, noise, vibration, and hazardous substances can still be overlooked.
The new HSE guidance reflects a wider shift towards stronger occupational health enforcement.
In practical terms, businesses are increasingly expected to take proactive steps to identify exposure risks early, implement robust control measures, and monitor worker health properly.
This is particularly important within industries where cost pressures, production targets, or tight project deadlines can sometimes lead to shortcuts being taken.
Unfortunately, silica dust exposure is one of the clearest examples of where those shortcuts can have life-changing consequences.
Meanwhile Unite is Calling for a Ban on Dry Cutting Engineered Stone
The trade Union Unite is now calling for a full ban as they believe the HSE guidance fails to require adequate control for exposure and is unachievable for localised fitting, cutting and finishing of stone worktops in people’s kitchens and living areas.
Sharon Graham the Unite general secretary has said: “Engineered stone is causing serious preventable illness and death amongst workers. The HSE guidance is inadequate – the UK needs to follow Australia’s example and ban this deadly material outright.”
What Businesses Should Be Doing Now
If your business cuts, fabricates, installs, or handles engineered stone products, now is the time to review your current arrangements.
At Richardson-Hill, we would strongly recommend businesses take the following steps immediately:
Review Existing Stone Cutting Processes
Identify any dry cutting, grinding, or polishing activities still taking place.
Introduce or Substantially Improve Wet-Cutting Controls
Ensure suitable water suppression systems are installed, maintained, and consistently used.
Review COSHH Assessments
Silica dust risks should be fully assessed, documented, and regularly reviewed.
Check LEV Systems and Dust Extraction
Ventilation systems should be tested, maintained, and capable of effectively controlling airborne dust.
Ensure Suitable Respiratory Protection
Workers should have appropriate RPE, with face fit testing and maintenance procedures in place.
Implement Health Surveillance
Employees exposed to respirable crystalline silica should be included within suitable occupational health monitoring programmes.
Train Workers Properly
Employees should fully understand the risks associated with silica dust exposure and the control measures designed to protect them.
Richardson-Hill’s View on Cutting Engineered Stone
The updated HSE guidance should not be seen simply as another regulatory burden.
This is about protecting workers from preventable illnesses that can permanently impact their health, quality of life, and future.
We regularly support businesses with:
- Health and safety compliance
- COSHH assessments
- Occupational health risk management
- Construction health and safety support
- Workplace inspections and audits
- Policy and procedure development
- Training and workforce engagement
One of the biggest differences we see between businesses that manage health and safety successfully and those that struggle is culture.
The companies getting this right are not waiting for enforcement visits before taking action. They are proactively investing in safer systems of work, better training, and stronger occupational health controls.
That approach not only protects workers, it also protects businesses from enforcement action, reputational damage, operational disruption, and rising insurance costs.
Final Thoughts
The HSE’s new engineered stone guidance sends a very clear message to the industry.
Silica dust exposure remains a serious and ongoing workplace health risk, and businesses are now expected to take far stronger action to control it.
With inspections already planned nationwide, organisations working with engineered stone should review their current processes urgently.
Silicosis is preventable. The guidance is available. The expectations are clear.
Now is the time for businesses to make sure their controls, training, and health and safety management systems are fit for purpose.
If your organisation would like support reviewing silica dust controls, COSHH compliance, or occupational health arrangements, the team at Richardson-Hill can help.
For help, advice and for any further questions, contact us today.
The new COSHH guidance for engineered stone is available from us at Richardson Hill or at hse.gov.uk
