Installing stone worktops: protect against harmful natural or artificial stone dust

Dust from natural, artificial or engineered stone can cause serious illness. This guidance is for installers of stone worktops and may help anyone who cuts or works with stone.

Serious risks from breathing in stone dust

If someone breathes in stone dust containing respirable crystalline silica (RCS) it can cause lung diseases including silicosis, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

RCS is a substance that is hazardous to health. The law says that employers must assess and control the risks from dust exposure.

RCS is in most rocks, sands, clays and also products like bricks, tiles and concrete. When these materials are cut, sanded, carved or ground, dust is created. This dust may be fine enough to be breathed deep into the lungs.

How to protect yourself and others

There are things you should and must do to protect yourself and others.

Training and information

Your employer must ensure that anyone working with stone is trained to do so. If you are self-employed, you have the same legal duties as an employer.

To work with stone, you should understand:

the risks from RCS
how you can be exposed to RCS and other dust
what measures you should use to control the risks

Before arriving on site

You should minimise creating dust on site. Do as much cutting, shaping or polishing in a suitably equipped workplace before arriving on site to install.

Before arriving on site, you should:

cut out sink and tap holes
check the works specification to make sure any other optional aspects, like cutting drainage grooves, are done off site
clean dust off worktops before transporting them - use wet cleaning or a M-class vacuum
use accurate measurements for fabrication by getting specifications from contractors or customers, or use templates or infrared measuring devices

Check before installing

Prepare before you start installing a stone worktop.

Check:

that any other installers are also trained to work with stone
the equipment before you use it - ensure filters in on-tool extraction, vacuums and respiratory protective equipment (RPE) have been changed as necessary, and any water suppression system can deliver an adequate water flow
that everyone knows how to report any health and safety issues or concerns when they are on site

During installation

When you are on site, you should make sure that you have what you need to control risks of exposure to harmful dust.

Make sure that you have:

an adequate water supply for suppression
appropriate segregated areas for any cutting tasks that can only be done on site

Carry out minor modifications that can only be done on site in a well-ventilated, segregated area with restricted access (ideally outdoors) using appropriate measures to control the risk.

Reduce risks by:

using water suppression or on-tool extraction with a shroud and dust collector attached to an M-class vacuum
shutting down heating systems with blowers or air-conditioning units - these can resuspend settled dust and increase airborne concentrations
wearing a face mask (RPE), for example an ‘FFP3' mask with an assigned protection factor (APF) of at least 20 (unless you are monitoring dust levels and the data shows that this level of protection is unnecessary for adequate control). RPE with an APF of 20 can reduce the amount of dust you breathe in by a factor of 20

Plan the clean up

There are still risks of exposure to harmful dust for you and others unless you clean up appropriately.

You should:

clean up immediately using wet methods – use a low-pressure water hose or an M-class vacuum
continue to wear a face mask (RPE) while cleaning
discard all stone waste materials (wet slurry and captured dust) promptly and without exposing anyone to dust
avoid transferring dust between areas by keeping clothes and personal protective equipment (PPE) clean, for example vacuum coveralls before leaving a dusty area
avoid dry sweeping dust and debris, or do anything that makes the dust go airborne
not use dry brushing or compressed air to clean dust off work clothing
get rid of disposable clothing or RPE once it has been used on a shift

What the law says

Employers must assess and control the risks from dust exposure under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) (as amended). They must provide appropriate information and training to workers.

If you are self-employed

As a self-employed person, you have the same responsibilities as an employer and a worker to make sure people are not exposed to dust.

More guidance on COSHH

The COSHH advice sheets for stoneworkers may help you to understand how to comply with the law and control exposure to RCS.

Further guidance

The leaflet Control of exposure to silica dust: A guide for employees explains what employers and employees should do to prevent lung disease caused by exposure to silica at work.