NOVATO, Calif., March 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Brayton Purcell LLP has released Episode 12 of its podcast, From Dust to Verdict, delivering a comprehensive examination of the February 19, 2026 Cal/OSHA Standards Board meeting—an event that may determine whether California will prohibit fabrication and installation of countertops made from crystalline silica artificial stone, a material composed of at least 90% silica with nanosized particles and approximately 10% additional toxic metals, resins and dyes and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The episode discusses the life-or-death implications for the state’s countertop fabrication workforce amid the accelerating epidemic of silicosis tied to artificial stone.
Physicians and Public Health Experts Warn of a Worsening Epidemic
Host James Nevin, partner at Brayton Purcell LLP, walks listeners through testimony presented by occupational medicine physicians, public health leaders, and Cal/OSHA’s own scientific staff. Their message was unequivocal: artificial stone is uniquely toxic, cannot be fabricated safely by human beings even with advanced controls, and has driven an unprecedented surge of accelerated silicosis in California.
Dr. Sheiphali Gandhi, director of the California Silica Support and Research Network at UCSF, described diagnosing young workers—often fathers in their twenties and thirties—with incurable, progressive lung disease requiring lung transplantation. She warned that current and proposed enforcement-based approaches are failing and risk pushing fabrication work further underground, making the epidemic harder to trace and control.
Dr. Kimberly Brayton, an attorney and physician with Brayton Purcell LLP, emphasized that silicosis cases are occurring across hundreds of fabrication shops, including those using wet methods and following Cal/OSHA protocols. Her testimony underscored that disease is occurring despite compliance, not because of its absence.
Dr. Robert Blink, speaking for more than 600 occupational health physicians with WOEMA, explained that fabricating crystalline silica artificial stone would require exposure reductions of 1,000‑ to 3,000‑fold—levels achievable only with “space‑suit‑level” protection, making safe fabrication by humans impossible.
Cal/OSHA Scientific Staff Confirm Artificial Stone’s Unique Toxicity
Cal/OSHA medical and scientific personnel reinforced that crystalline silica artificial stone is fundamentally different from natural stone. While natural stone fabrication historically produced no silicosis cases, artificial stone has produced near-daily cases, driven by nanosized silica particles and added chemical toxins.
Even highly sophisticated shops investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment were unable to keep silica levels below lethal limits, confirming that compliance alone cannot prevent disease.
Foreign Slab Manufacturers Oppose a Ban and Promote Criminal Enforcement
Foreign slab manufacturers and Cambria representatives argue that noncompliance—not the product—is the problem. They urged criminal prosecution of shop owners instead of prohibiting artificial stone. Episode 12 details how these proposals ignore medical science, misrepresent the cause of the epidemic, and risk shifting blame onto already‑vulnerable workers.
A Defining Moment for California
The Cal/OSHA Standards Board has not yet voted on WOEMA’s petition. A formal recommendation memo is expected at an upcoming meeting. Episode 12 lays out the central choice before the Board: adopt a prohibition supported by medical science and public health experts, or allow continued fabrication of a uniquely hazardous product while workers face a fatal, entirely preventable disease.
About Brayton Purcell LLP
Brayton Purcell LLP is a nationally recognized law firm with decades of experience advocating on behalf of individuals and families harmed by toxic exposures, including those impacted by artificial stone. The firm remains committed to transparency, public education, and accountability within industries linked to hazardous materials.
Media contact:
Nolan Lowry
nlowry@braytonlaw.com
415-399-3107
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SOURCE Brayton Purcell LLP
