The California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board met on July 16, 2026, for its monthly public meeting and business meeting. Although Petition 609 and revisions to California’s respirable crystalline silica standard were not formal voting items, the meeting included significant updates for countertop fabricators, manufacturers, construction stakeholders and occupational health and safety professionals.
Cal/OSHA confirmed that it is moving forward with the emergency rulemaking and advisory process requested by the Standards Board following its May decision to grant Petition 609 in part. The petition seeks revisions to Title 8, Section 5204 that would prohibit fabrication and installation activities involving engineered stone containing more than 1% crystalline silica.
Cal/OSHA Schedules Emergency Silica Advisory Meeting
Cal/OSHA announced that it will convene an advisory meeting on July 31, 2026, to solicit stakeholder input on a proposed emergency regulation addressing engineered stone countertops and similar products containing more than 1% crystalline silica.
The meeting will be open to the public and available both in person and remotely. Cal/OSHA has published a series of questions intended to guide discussion regarding how California could transition from high-silica engineered stone to safer alternatives. Interested stakeholders may provide comments during the meeting or submit written comments to Cal/OSHA’s Research and Standards Branch.
Cal/OSHA also provided updated enforcement statistics for countertop fabrication facilities. Since the revised silica requirements took effect in late 2023, Cal/OSHA reported that it has opened 196 inspections, issued Orders Prohibiting Use of 33 facilities, issued more than 980 citations, and proposed approximately $2 million in penalties. The updated figures represent an increase from the June meeting, when Cal/OSHA reported 192 inspections, 32 Orders Prohibiting Use, more than 900 citations and approximately $1.9 million in penalties.
Orders Prohibiting Use may require facilities to stop hazardous operations until unsafe conditions are corrected. Previous Board discussions identified dry cutting, inadequate respiratory protection and improper dry cleanup practices as conditions that may support these orders.
The continuing 93% violation rate remains one of the most significant factors supporting the Board’s concern that existing regulations and enforcement efforts have not consistently resulted in adequate worker protection throughout the countertop fabrication industry.
Federal Stone Industry Liability Legislation Has Not Advanced
The Standards Board’s legislative update also briefly addressed a federal proposal concerning liability protections for manufacturers, sellers and fabricators of stone slab products.
Board staff reported that the federal legislation had not advanced. Although separate from the California rulemaking process, the proposal is relevant to the broader national debate surrounding responsibility for worker exposures, silicosis claims and the manufacturing and fabrication of engineered stone products.
Key Takeaways from the July California OSH Standards Board Meeting
The July 16 meeting confirmed that California is moving from the initial petition decision into the regulatory development phase.
The most important development is the July 31 advisory meeting, which will provide stakeholders with an opportunity to comment on how a potential emergency prohibition could be structured and implemented. Cal/OSHA’s published materials indicate that the agency is actively considering an emergency regulation prohibiting fabrication of engineered stone countertops and similar products containing more than 1% crystalline silica.
The next California OSH Standards Board meeting is scheduled for August 20, 2026. Additional information regarding the timing and content of a proposed emergency regulation may become available following the July 31 advisory meeting.
RHP Risk Management Silica Consulting Services to Meet OSHA Requirements
RHP Risk Management’s Certified Industrial Hygienists, public health scientists and Certified Safety Professionals help organizations understand and comply with OSHA and Cal/OSHA silica requirements.
RHP can assist countertop fabricators, manufacturers, contractors and other employers with exposure monitoring, written exposure control plans, engineering-control evaluations, respiratory protection, employee training, medical-surveillance considerations and preparation for evolving California regulatory requirements.
Contact RHP Risk Management’s industry experts to learn more about our silica consulting and worker-exposure assessment services by calling (866) 481-8188.