#1
#1 out of 1
politics11h ago
As worker silicosis deaths mount, GOP moves to shield companies from liability
- Public health officials in California push to ban engineered quartz to protect fabricators from silicosis amid rising cases.
- Congressional Republicans push a bill to shield quartz manufacturers from liability for silicosis lawsuits.
- Cambria, a leading domestic producer, faces hundreds of silicosis lawsuits and has donated to Trump-supported campaigns.
- Industry argues liability shifts target wrong parties and that workers should pursue workplace injury lawsuits.
- Advocates point to asbestos-era lawsuits as a driver for industry change toward safer practices.
- Australia’s ban on engineered stone prompted a switch to safer amorphous silica products, a potential model for the U.S.
- California reports over 1,300 fabrication shops and more than 500 silicosis cases linked to engineered stone.
- Advocates warn time is running out to protect vulnerable stone fabricators, many of whom are Latino immigrant workers.
- Public health officials emphasize civil lawsuits as essential for worker protection and corporate accountability.
- Lawmakers debate whether liability immunity would preserve jobs or endanger workers' safety.
Vote 0