Artificial stone silicosis

The Lungs at Work team attended, presented and chaired at the most recent British Thoracic Society (BTS) Winter Meeting between 26-28 November 2025 in Westminster, London.

Our team presented the following abstracts:

• S112 Description of 32 cases of artificial stone silicosis from a single UK centre (presented by Dr Jo Feary)
• S113 Silicosis prevalence and association with cumulative silica exposure among current and ex- underground small-scale miners in Northern Tanzania (presented by Dr Patrick Howlett)
• S114 Longitudinal change in respiratory function in firefighters; results from the Grenfell Firefighter Study (presented by BSc medical student)
• M37 The burden and determinants of tuberculosis among small-scale miners and community members in Northern Tanzania (presented by Dr Patrick Howlett)
• P73 Changing trends in occupational asthma cases identified at a single specialist centre over 30 years (presented by nurse Tamanna Kabir)

Dr Feary was co-chair for a session on "Occupational hazards of exposure to particulates",  and Dr Howlett a co-chair for a session titled "Breathing room: Confronting lung diseases from modern workplaces".

See the full event programme with full abstracts on the BTS website.

We have worked with the Society of Occupational Medicine (SOM) to develop an information document on silicosis from artificial/engineered stone. The document aims to provide background information and practical strategies for occupational health surveillance.

Download the presentation here

The i Paper has recently published several articles about silicosis due to artificial/engineered stone. The articles are part of a wider campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of working with this type of stone, and to improve health surveillance and accountability of UK employers which are still using these products. The i Paper is ultimately calling for ban of artificial/engineered stone in the UK.

People who cut, grind or polish artificial/engineered stone are at increased risk of developing silicosis due to this type of stone, an irreversible occupational lung disease. 

The articles highlight the stories of two of our clinic patients who recently died due to artificial stone silicosis.

Dr Jo Feary has done a huge amount of work in raising awareness of artificial stone silicosis in the UK. They have been quoted in the i Paper article 'There may be many more': The doctor treating young workers with incurable silicosis (17 December 2025). 

• 'His death was preventable': The father-of-three killed by kitchen worktop dust
• Ban killer kitchen worktop dust to save young workers
• 'There may be many more': The doctor treating young workers with incurable silicosis

Read about our work on artificial stone silicosis.

If you have ever worked with silica, stone dust, artificial stone or quartz and you are worried about silicosis, please contact us.

Dr Johanna Feary recently spoke to MPs and peers at the All Party Parliamentary Party Group (APPG) on Occupational Safety & Health on Monday 3 November 2025, about the increasing number of patients in the UK diagnosed with silicosis caused by artificial/engineered stone.

Industry experts at the Westminster meeting including clinicians, politicians, union leaders and legal teams came together to discuss the dangers of artificial/engineered stone. Many are calling for a UK-wide ban on these stones with such high silica content.

The meeting was hosted by Thompsons Solicitors and the Trade Union Congress.

Read press coverage of the meeting here:

• Deadly kitchen revamp lung disease on rise - as man sent for transplant at age 23 (inews)
• Westminster hears fresh calls to ban high-silica stone (kbbreview)

Dr Johanna Feary was recently featured on BBC Morning Live at Royal Brompton Hospital to talk about silicosis due to artificial stone, and advises those working with the material to get their lungs checked.

The feature also includes an interview with our patient Ryan, who spoke about how his silicosis diagnosis has affected his life. Nurse Tamanna Kabir was also featured performing spirometry with Ryan.

Watch the feature on BBC Morning Live online from 11mins and 22 secs.