Quartz countertops have become a must-have addition to modern kitchens and bathrooms in wealthy homes.
But the manual workers responsible for making them are suffering from a deadly disease called “black lung.”
Known medically as silicosis, the disease occurs when small stone fragments, small enough to pass through face masks, are inhaled and micro-cuts are made in the lungs.
Over time, these tears cause irreversible damage to organs, making the condition a death sentence unless the person undergoes lung transplants, which only buys them a few years.
Now, dozens of victims are suing stonemasons for failing to protect them in a growing wave of lawsuits that could upend the world of home renovation.
One of those workers is 34-year-old Gustavo Reyes González of California, who received a double lung transplant after moving to the United States from Mexico and installing kitchens and bathrooms for wealthy families throughout Orange County.
He won at least $8 million or possibly more, depending on what a judge decides within the next month, against companies that manufacture and distribute artificial stone after the jury agreed they were at least partially responsible for the illness that has left him in pain. and almost death.
His lawyer James Nevin told DailyMail.com that he currently represents about 300 workers in California who have suffered painful lung injuries as a result of doing their jobs.
Many of the victims are between 30 and 40 years old and will die within about ten years.
Researchers warn that when quartz countertops are cut, silica dust is released, which can harm people’s lungs (stock)
Gustavo Reyes González worked for years in stone manufacturing workshops, where he constantly breathed invisible silica dust. It penetrated his lungs and caused a buildup of scar tissue there, permanently damaging his lungs. Since then he has had two transplants.
Nevin told DailyMail.com: “We are finding a prevalence rate of 92 per cent; most manufacturing workers will get silicosis… this is just the tip of the iceberg.”
Gonzalez is one of numerous plaintiffs in cases alleging that stone manufacturers and distributors covered up the risks of working with their products, but his was the first to go to trial.
His lawyers believe his case is a bellwether for more cases to come, and Nevin adding which “is the first of many hundreds, if not thousands.”
González immigrated to the United States from Mexico as a teenager to escape poverty and began working from morning to night, six days a week, cutting quartz stone slabs for use in kitchens and bathrooms.
Durable stone is a popular choice for Americans looking to update their countertops, as it is heat and stain resistant and more durable than granite.
For the customer, it is a harmless and aesthetically pleasing addition to the home. But to the worker who cuts the pieces and sizes them, the stone is deadly.
Although quartz is a natural mineral, the one found in American homes is a mixture of silica (a chemical compound) and other materials such as metals, resins, and dyes.
When workers like Mr. González breathe the dust while cutting pieces, the particles travel to the lungs and cause inflammation and scarring.
This usually causes permanent damage to the lungs, leading to difficulty breathing, severe coughing, and eventually oxygen therapy and at least a lung transplant.
González noticed his symptoms worsening in 2020, after having worked in the industry for more than a decade. It would take about a year to know the true nature of his diagnosis.
he said Home Business: ‘(The pulmonologist) told me I had silicosis. I asked him what that was and he said, ‘You’re sick because of your job, because you’ve been breathing silica.’
“I asked him, ‘What are we going to do? Is there any treatment?’ and he said, ‘There’s nothing we can do for you, because there’s no cure for this disease.’
Mr. González left his appointment with the doctor in crisis, certain that he was going to die.
And he added: ‘I decided to continue working because I needed to save some money for what was to come. Actually, what I was doing was saving money for my funeral.
Mr. González testified that he often worked in a fog of dust that dirty his mask. The manufacturers never warned him or his coworkers that working with the artificial stone could cause irreversible health damage.
González survived only because he was able to receive two lung transplants in February 2023.
But hundreds of thousands of Americans are not so lucky. They languish on long waiting lists for transplants, and 17 people die on those waiting lists every day.
Gonzalez will need another one within seven to 10 years, according to one of his lawyers, Raphael Metzger, and probably won’t live past 50.
Mr. Metzger saying: ‘Hopefully he will have another 16 years of life, but it won’t be a high-quality life. He is not feeling well. It will never be complete.
González has worked in a number of stone masonry workshops and stressed that the problem workers face is common and widespread.
He stated that sometimes the cloud of dust that rose into the air in these stores hung over the workers. like a thick fog.
His mask became “very dirty” and, even when he cut the stone with water to minimize exposure to dust, the stone would dry out later and “a lot of dust would come off.”
Caesarstone, which made the quartz, said the responsibility for ensuring worker safety lay with the workshops, not the stone manufacturer, and told the court that the injuries could have been avoided if those “who owned and operated the manufacturing shop where he worked would have done what Caesarstone asked them to do.
Much of the weeks-long case focused on determining the protective measures needed to protect workers from silica dust generated by artificial stone, Los Angeles Times reported.
A series of experts testified about the dangers of cutting such stone slabs. Dr. Kenneth Rosenman noted that Reyes González developed silicosis even though he used water dispensing tools, which Rosenman explained were “not protective enough.”
Industrial hygienist Stephen Petty, another plaintiff’s expert, characterized N95 masks as providing “bottom of the barrel” protection against artificial stone dust. He added that even high-quality respirators with clean air tanks are not a “permanent solution,” as workers tend to adjust the fit, disturbing the protective seal.
Mr. González’s case and that of dozens of other workers is likely to have a profound impact on the home renovation industry, as it will likely increase demand for materials with lower silica content.
Safety protocols for stone manufacturers are also likely to become stricter, requiring more expensive ventilation and dust control systems and more personal protective equipment. Many shops like the ones González worked at for more than a decade can experience some financial losses as they try to meet new standards.
Silicosis appears on a CT scan as small white nodules scattered throughout the lungs. Scan courtesy of radiopaedia.org
A ban on artificial stone is not on the immediate horizon, but the wave of lawsuits could prompt new regulatory measures, including stricter exposure limits dictated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and better quality control of the air in stores and factories.
Mr. González’s fight is far from over. He now faces a lifetime of daily medication, which increases his risk of cancer due to the immunosuppressants he requires to prevent organ rejection.
His medications have left him sterile and he and his wife will never be able to fulfill their dream of having a child.
His severe coughing fits also damaged his stomach and diaphragm, requiring additional surgeries. In total, their life expectancy has been extended to just 10 years.
González blames stone manufacturers for hiding the dangers of their products: ‘They make the material. They know the content of the material. They know what products are in the material.
‘They should have told us about that, and they didn’t tell us anything about it.’