Introduction
Recent changes to Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance on working with engineered stone will have significant implications for a wide range of businesses. This includes stone fabrication workshops, kitchen and bathroom worktop manufacturers and installers, construction contractors, fit‑out companies, and maintenance teams involved in cutting, grinding, polishing or modifying stone surfaces.
Engineered stone—commonly used for modern kitchen and bathroom worktops—has become increasingly popular, but it presents a serious health risk during processing. As a result, HSE has strengthened its expectations under COSHH to ensure businesses adequately control exposure to hazardous dust.
Case Study – HSE enforcement action on silica exposure
HSE enforcement activity has already highlighted the risks of poor control. In one case, a stone worktop manufacturer, was fined £60,000 after repeatedly failing to protect workers from dust exposure. Inspectors found significant accumulations of stone dust across the workshop, indicating a lack of effective controls and poor housekeeping. Workers reported concerns that there was nobody responsible for health and safety management
The company was prosecuted after failing to control exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS), a breach of both the Health and Safety at Work Act and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations. The case reinforces that inadequate dust controls are not simply poor practice—they are enforceable legal failures with serious consequences.
What has changed in the guidance?
In May 2026, HSE issued new guidance for work involving engineered stone. The key message is clear: dry cutting of engineered stone is now considered unacceptable.
The updated guidance confirms that:
- Water suppression techniques must be used during cutting and fabrication
- Businesses should switch to lower-silica engineered stone where possible
- Effective control of mist and airborne dust is required
- Suitable respiratory protective equipment (RPE) must be provided
- Health surveillance must be implemented for exposed workers
These measures are not optional—they are framed by HSE as legal requirements under COSHH.
The changes follow a two-year HSE research programme and increasing evidence of serious ill health, including fatalities among relatively young workers.
Why is engineered stone dust so hazardous?
Engineered stone can contain up to 95% crystalline silica, significantly higher than many natural materials. When the stone is cut, ground or polished, it releases fine respirable crystalline silica dust (RCS).
This dust is extremely dangerous because it is small enough to penetrate deep into the lungs.
Exposure can cause serious and irreversible diseases including:
- Silicosis
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Lung cancer
Unlike traditional silica-related illness, which may develop over decades, engineered stone exposure can cause rapid or “accelerated” silicosis within months or a few years. Workers may suffer permanent lung damage before symptoms even appear, making effective prevention essential.
What controls are required to comply?
To meet legal duties under the COSHH regulations and align with the updated guidance businesses must adopt a robust hierarchy of controls.
At the top of that hierarchy, HSE expects employers to eliminate or reduce the hazard wherever possible by selecting lower-silica materials. Where processing is unavoidable, exposure must be controlled at source using on-tool water suppression, which significantly reduces airborne dust compared to dry cutting.
Additional controls must include effective management of slurry and mist, use of local exhaust ventilation where appropriate, and strict housekeeping using wet cleaning methods (dry sweeping is not acceptable).
For work with engineered stone the use of powered air purifying respirators (PAPR) will be required. They must have a protection factor (APF) of 20 or 40, with 20 being the minimum acceptable.
Finally, employers must implement health surveillance programmes for workers exposed to silica dust and ensure adequate training, supervision, and restricted access to high-risk work areas.
HSE campaign and inspection programme
Alongside the new guidance, HSE has launched a nationwide inspection programme targeting the engineered stone sector. As part of this initiative, inspectors are carrying out more than 1,000 inspections across Great Britain over a 12‑month period.
This campaign is part of HSE’s wider “Work Right” approach, focusing on ensuring that businesses understand and meet their legal responsibilities. Inspectors are specifically looking at how effectively employers control silica dust risks, and enforcement action will be taken against those who do not comply.
The regulator has made it clear that expectations are now explicit, and non-compliance will not be tolerated.
Summary
HSE’s updated guidance on engineered stone represents a significant step change in how silica dust risks must be managed. Businesses involved in stone fabrication, installation or construction must recognise that dry cutting is no longer acceptable and that robust, evidence-based controls are required.
Silica dust exposure can cause life-changing and fatal diseases, often developing rapidly and without early warning signs. However, these risks are entirely preventable with the right controls.
With increased regulatory scrutiny, a nationwide inspection programme, and clear legal expectations, now is the time for businesses to review their arrangements, ensure compliance with COSHH, and protect their workforce from this serious and preventable health risk.
