HSE has begun enforcement action as part of a nationwide programme to protect workers from silica dust. Several firms have received prohibition notices, meaning they must stop work immediately and fix safety failures before resuming.
Common breaches uncovered
Inspectors found serious safety failures, including:
- dry cutting with no water suppression
- poor mist control
- missing or inadequate breathing protection (RPE)
- gaps in health surveillance
- poorly guarded machinery.
A nationwide inspection drive
HSE is visiting over 1,000 stone fabrication businesses across Great Britain in 2026. Firms falling short of standards will face enforcement action.
A nationwide inspection drive The health risks at stake
Engineered stone, used widely for worktops and bathroom surfaces, can contain up to 90% silica. Inhaling the dust can cause silicosis, COPD, and lung cancer.
Prevention is possible
These diseases are irreversible but preventable. HSE's two-year research found dry cutting exposes workers to between five and ten times more silica dust than wet methods. Lower-silica stone is also available, without any loss in quality.
For more information, please visit the HSE website: Engineered Stone - Work Right
HSE publishes latest work-related fatal injury statistics
126 workers were killed in work-related incidents across Great Britain last year. HSE's annual data release covers April 2025 to March 2026, and this year includes new analysis comparing Great Britain's figures with 35 other countries.
A record low, pandemic years aside
Excluding coronavirus-affected years, 2025–2026 provisionally has the lowest number of worker deaths ever recorded in a single year.
Leading causes of death
Across all industries, the most common causes were:
- falls from height (31)
- struck by a moving vehicle (24)
- struck by a moving object (21).
Mesothelioma figures also released
HSE has published the annual mesothelioma figures, a cancer caused by past asbestos exposure. 2,146 people died from the disease in 2024, down from the 2011–2020 average of 2,508 deaths a year.
For more information, please visit the HSE website: fatal injury statistics press release.
