Concerns for workers health in the Quartz stone industry

As the countertop industry keeps growing, there is a rising concern for the health of countertop workers.

Today, doctors are getting increasingly worried about work-related illnesses in this industry. There are many reported cases of lung disease developed in countertop workers, which are due to violations of worker protection rules. 

For example, the countertop-making companies do not provide high-level respiratory protection equipment to their workers. Manufacturers practice dry-cutting that exposes workers to a huge amount of dust and silica. As a result, they inhaled a large amount of dust and silica after prolong exposure in an unsafe environment. Subsequently, the affected workers experienced severe coughing, shortness of breath, and eventually require a lung transplant. 

Moreover, research reports carried out in countertop industries found the health of workers is related to the degree of work ethics. This suggests a low, or non-enforcement on the adherence to the regulations and guidance in the workplace is threatening the health of the workers. 

However, some companies are making a considerable effort in ensuring the safety of their workers at all levels. At VIVA quartz stone, we place the health of our factory workers on top. We provide personal protective equipment such as N95 masks to our workers. This can effectively shield countertop workers from the harmful silica.

We Also have clear guidance on how to process the material safely to suppress the dust, which is strictly enforced by the management. During the fabrication, cutting and polishing, we apply water to the equipment to control dust. Also, we rotate workers regularly to minimize individual exposure. 

         

One of VIVA's core values is quality on top. We pursue high quality of our products with a worker-oriented principle. With this, we can provide our customers with a variety of quartz slabs that each has its unique texture and color. 

Another factor that VIVA takes into consideration is the impact on the environment. We are on the front line on mitigating pollution to our environment. At VIVA, we use eco-friendly materials to produce our quartz stones. Besides being eco-friendly, the quartz stone slab has a high aesthetic property, which contributed to their ageless look.

Conclusion

While most manufacturers aim at reducing production costs by using dry-fabrication that causes harm to worker's health, VIVA always prioritizes the health of workers. We have been taking and will continue to take considerable steps to ensure the safety of workers as well as protecting the environment.