Victorville Silica Free Quartz Countertops News
H.R. 5437: The Federal Bill That Would End Silicosis Lawsuits Against Stone Manufacturers
A bill moving through Congress would do something that hasn't been done before in U.S. product liability law: retroactively dismiss hundreds of active silicosis lawsuits against stone manufacturers — and permanently bar any new ones from being filed. The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Stone Slab Products Act (H.R. 5437) passed the House Judiciary Committee 16-7 on June 3, 2026. Here's what's in ...
Vetrazzo Recycled Glass Countertops: The Complete Specifying Guide for Architects and Designers
Vetrazzo is a countertop surface made from up to 85% recycled glass by weight, bound in modified white Portland cement with non-toxic mineral pigments. No resins. No petrochemicals. No crystalline silica. Every slab is made by hand at Polycor's facility in Tate, Georgia — an 8-to-10-week production cycle in which artisans sort, color-grade, and place glass sourced from bottles, demolished windows,...
The Liability Case for Specifying Silica-Free: What Architects Need to Know
What “Standard of Care" Means for Architects — and Why Silica Just Crossed the Line The legal standard of care is the foundational benchmark governing the professional liability of architects and design professionals. 1 Under common law and standard industry agreements, such as those published by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the standard of care dictates that a design professional m...
Why Design Firms Are Dropping High-Silica Quartz From Their Project Specs (2026)
Design firms are removing traditional engineered quartz from their project specifications — not because clients are asking, but because their attorneys are watching. The rise of negligent specification liability, new LEED v5 requirements, and an active pipeline of silicosis lawsuits have pushed design firm principals to treat high-silica surface selection as a professional risk, not just a product...
California STOP Act: The July 1 Attestation Deadline, Explained
California's STOP Act required fabrication shops to complete silica safety training before filing an annual attestation with Cal/OSHA. The July 1 deadline is now days away. Here's what the filing requires, who must submit it, and what happens if your shop doesn't. The compliance deadline is July 1. Senate Bill 20—officially recognized as California's Silicosis Training, Outreach, and Prevention (S...
How to Have the Silica Conversation With Homeowners
The worker risk is real. The residential risk is not. Here's how to explain the difference — and what to say in every scenario. Homeowners are asking about countertop safety at a rate that would have been unusual two years ago. The silicosis crisis in the engineered stone industry has migrated from occupational health journals and fabrication shops into mainstream news coverage — and into client c...