Topic
Silica Exposure
78 published works
Product Perspective: Complex Tort & Product Law
Abundant Regulation Without Adequate Enforcement: Artificial Stone in California
By Paul Calfo, Frederic "Rick" Norris, Rachel Choi
On May 21, 2026, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (OSHSB) granted in part Petition No. 609, kickstarting a process that may result in the ban of fabrication…
Product Perspective: Complex Tort & Product Law
Senate Bill 20 Signed into Law: New Compliance Era for California’s Stone Fabrication Industry is Underway
By Hilda Akopyan, Brad DeJardin, Frederic "Rick" Norris
Background – Public Health and the Need for Employer Accountability Senate Bill 20, also called the Silicosis Training, Outreach, and Prevention (STOP) Act, was signed into law by Governor Newsom…
California Workplace Law Blog
Senate Bill 20: California Expands Worker Protections Against Silica Dust Exposure
On October 13, 2025, California’s Governor signed Senate Bill (SB) 20, which amends the Labor Code to target occupational exposure to crystalline silica in the artificial stone fabrication industry, introducing…
Product Perspective: Complex Tort & Product Law
Senate Bill 20: Continuing Developments in the Stone Fabrication Industry
By Hilda Akopyan, Nick Morgan, Paloma Acosta, Frederic "Rick" Norris, Brad DeJardin
Relevant History On December 29, 2023, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board instituted an emergency regulation to address occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica. This regulation addressed additional…
Product Perspective: Complex Tort & Product Law
Proposed California Legislation on Silicosis Prevention in Manufactured Stone Industry is Withdrawn
In July, a proposed bill named the Silicosis Prevention Act was withdrawn from consideration in California. This proposed bill would have substantially affected the manufactured stone industry by banning dry…
Safety Law Matters
MSHA Announces Stakeholder Meetings Regarding New Silica Rule
By Donna Pryor
MSHA announced it will hold a series of stakeholder meetings across the country to share information about the final silica rule issued on April 18, 2024. The first two meetings…
Safety Law Matters
MSHA’s Final Silica Redraws the Landscape for Silica Compliance
The Acting Secretary of Labor appeared with the Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health, Chris Williamson and union leaders on April 16th at an event in Uniontown, PA to…
ImmigrationProf Blog
Opinion: Incurable and unconscionable: How immigrants are contracting deadly lung disease making kitchen countertops
Nolan Rappaport for The Hill writes that Latino immigrant workers in California are dying from silicosis, an incurable disease caused by worker exposures to airborne particles of crystalline silica. Silicosis…
Workplace Safety and Environmental Law Alert Blog
Cal/OSHA Approves Emergency Changes to the Silica Standard With Onerous New Requirements For Cutting Stone and Tile Products
By Adam R. Young Seyfarth Synopsis: Cal/OSHA’s Standards Board approved the Division’s revisions to the silica standard on an emergency basis, requiring a regulated area, PPE, and air monitoring for any workplace…
California Workplace Law Blog
Cal/OSHA Standards Board Adopts Temporary Standard for Silica
By Joshua M. Henderson, Sean Paisan
Last week, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board approved an emergency temporary standard regarding respirable crystalline silica (RCS). The standard will take effect December 29, 2023. The emergency temporary standard (ETS)comes after…