Washington, Jan 20 (NationPress) A heated discussion regarding worker safety, corporate liability, and the future of the US stone slab sector took place in Congress last week, involving entrepreneurs of Indian descent and highlighting issues pertinent to Indian businesses and laborers engaged in global supply chains.

During a session of a House Judiciary subcommittee, former US occupational safety chief David Michaels cautioned lawmakers that the introduction of new legislation to protect artificial stone manufacturers and suppliers from legal action could exacerbate what he termed a burgeoning silicosis crisis among countertop fabrication workers.

“Silicosis is a catastrophic, fatal, and entirely preventable condition,” Michaels remarked, noting that artificial stone fabrication is “one of the most perilous industries where workers encounter silica dust.”

Michaels informed the committee that hundreds of American workers had already suffered health complications, with numerous fatalities, due to silica exposure while cutting and polishing artificial stone utilized in kitchen countertops.

Referring to California health statistics, he stated that nearly 500 cases had been reported in that state alone, resulting in 27 deaths and multiple lung transplants. “If no action is taken to mitigate exposure, the number of cases and fatalities will keep rising,” he asserted.

He firmly opposed H.R. 5437, the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Stone Slab Products Act, arguing that legal actions are essential in compelling industries to adopt safer materials.

Michaels highlighted Australia’s approach, which banned high-silica engineered stone instead of limiting litigation, leading manufacturers to transition to safer alternatives without job losses. “There are safe substitutes that can create equally stylish countertops,” he said, adding that switching to alternatives would mean “no loss of American jobs.”

In contrast, Gary Talwar, vice president of Natural Stone Resources, a family-run business of Indian origin located in California, appealed to Congress to support the bill. Talwar shared that his parents immigrated legally from India in 1980 and built their business from scratch, framing it as a narrative deeply embedded in the American Dream.

“Silicosis is a serious and completely preventable condition,” Talwar acknowledged, but contended that the accountability rests with unsafe fabrication shops rather than distributors like his company, which does not cut, grind, or polish stone. “We do not dictate whether a shop employs wet cutting, ventilation, or personal protective equipment,” he noted, emphasizing that distributors are increasingly being implicated in numerous lawsuits for practices they do not manage.

Talwar expressed that escalating legal expenses are exerting immense pressure on small, frequently family-owned businesses nationwide. He informed lawmakers that some companies have already incurred hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal defense costs and are facing the dilemma of choosing between litigation and maintaining their operations. “Some are seriously contemplating closing their doors,” he said.

Jim Hieb, CEO of the Natural Stone Institute, echoed these sentiments, stating that while his trade group supports worker safety, it opposes what he described as misdirected litigation against stone slab suppliers. “Selling stone slabs does not cause silicosis,” Hieb noted. “It is the negligence regarding safety protocols during stone cutting and fabrication that poses the risk.”

Rebecca Shult, chief legal officer of Cambria, a quartz manufacturer based in Minnesota, indicated that her company endorses the legislation to safeguard American manufacturing jobs and domestic producers.

Silicosis results from inhaling fine silica particles and has long been a concern in mining, stone cutting, and construction, where officials have struggled to limit occupational exposure. In the US, the current debate revolves around whether Congress should step in to restrict civil liability or depend on workplace regulations and market transitions toward safer materials to avert additional disease and fatalities.