Information for Providers
Workers with silicosis often present with non-specific respiratory symptoms, such as cough and shortness of breath; they may also be asymptomatic in early stages of disease.
Providers should
ask patients about their work and consider silicosis in both asymptomatic and symptomatic countertop fabrication workers. Silicosis can be diagnosed using imaging, such as chest x-ray and chest CT, and pulmonary function tests, such as spirometry and diffusing capacity. Pulmonary and occupational medicine providers should be included in diagnosis and care.ā
Providers are
asked to report any silicosis cases to CDPH via one of the following methods:ā
- By filling out the Silicosis Reporting Formā
- By phone: 800-970-6680
- By fax: 916-636-6153
- By email:
silicosis@cdph.ca.gov
- Please ensure that any emails containing protected health information are sent via a secure email system. If you do not have access to a secure email system, please contact us at the above email address and we will provide a secure method of transmission.
Additioānal Resources for Providersā
NEW!ā Continuing Medical Education silicosis course ā a free, one-hour course covering what healthcare providers need to know about silicosis in countertop fabrication workers.
Silicosis in Countertop Fabrication Workers: What Providers Need to Know (PDF)āāā ā one-page overview of silicosis in countertop fabrication workers, including information about diagnosis, medical surveillance, and treatment.ā
Global Epidemic Comes to California: Silicosis in Countertop Workers ā CDPH health advisory with information for California health care providers and local health departmentsā
Silicosis: An Update and Guide for Clinicians ā clinical review, including occupational background and clinical guidance on managing silicosis (published in Clinics in Chest Medicine, 2020)
Silica Exposure, Silicosis, and the New Occupational Safety and Health Administration Silica Standard. What Pulmonologists Need to Know ā summary of workers at risk of silicosis and occupational health considerations for clinicians (published in Annals of the American Thoracic Society, 2018)ā
Adverse Effects of Crystalline Silica Exāposure (PDF 3.5 MB)ā American Thoracic Society position statement describing the health effects of respirable crystalline silica exposure
Silicosis and Crystalline Silica Exposure: What Physicians Need to Know ā fact sheet about silicosis from the New York State Department of Healthā
Professional publications
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āNEW!āāāāāā
Silicosis among countertop workers in California - case investigation article, July 2023
Silicosis article summary (PDF)āā
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Self-reported silica exposures and workplace protections among engineered stone fabrication workers in California ā letter to journal editor, October 2022
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Elevated exposures to respirable crystalline silica among engineered stone fabrication workers in California, January 2019āFebruary 2020 ā journal article abstract, July 2022
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Radiographic Screening Reveals High Burden of Silicosis among Workers at an Engineered Stone Countertop Fabrication Facility in California ā journal article, March 2021
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Outbreak of Silicosis among Engineered Stone Countertop Workers in Four States ā NIOSH Science blog āvisual abstractā (poster format) ā MMWR report, October 2019
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Severe Silicosis in Engineered Stone Fabrication Workers ā California, Colorado, Texas, and Washington, 2017ā2019 ā MMWR report, September 2019
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Silica ā Notes from the Field: Silicosis in a Countertop Fabricator ā Texas, 2014 ā MMWR, February 2015
General silica prevention resources, including Construction