WFF pledges to help build a ‘healthier, safer and stronger future for stone fabrication’

Following the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) strengthened silica guidance, the Worktop Fabricators Federation (WFF) has pledged its support to helping the industry implement the new standards. 

Its message: ‘Don't dry cut. Don't breathe it in. Don't take it home’ aims to help reduce exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS), which remains one of the most significant occupational health risks facing the stone fabrication industry. Exposure can lead to irreversible diseases, including silicosis, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). These illnesses are preventable through effective dust control, safe systems of work and continued education, which the WFF says will create a safer, stronger and more sustainable future for the industry.

Nigel Fletcher, operations officer of the Worktop Fabricators Federation, said: "Every major improvement in workplace safety has involved a period of change. When seatbelts became mandatory, there was resistance. When smoking was banned in enclosed public places, many questioned whether it would work. Today, both are accepted as common-sense measures that have saved lives and improved public health.

“The stone fabrication industry is now at a similar turning point. The evidence surrounding respirable crystalline silica is clear, and the HSE's guidance reflects that evidence. Eliminating dry cutting, controlling dust at source and preventing workers from taking hazardous dust home are not simply regulatory requirements – they are essential steps in protecting lives. The message is straightforward: don't dry cut, don't breathe it in and don't take it home. Good businesses have nothing to fear from these changes. In years to come, we believe the industry will look back and wonder why these practices were ever considered acceptable.

The Worktop Fabricators Federation has been proud to work alongside the HSE, its scientific teams and leading medical experts throughout this process. Our members opened their workshops to support the research, we contributed to discussions around the scientific findings, and we stood alongside the HSE as these important measures were introduced.

Our commitment doesn't stop there. We are extending support across the whole industry, introducing our new WFF Accreditation Quality Mark and encouraging greater due diligence throughout the supply chain. Fabricators, suppliers, retailers and kitchen studios all have a role to play in raising standards and protecting the people who work in our industry every day. The dust has settled. The work begins. Together, we can build a healthier, safer and stronger future for stone fabrication.”

In a statement, the WFF said it ‘encourages every fabricator to review their working practices, risk assessments, dust control measures, training and health surveillance arrangements in line with the HSE guidance. The Federation also calls on kitchen studios, retailers and consumers to ask where and how products are fabricated, recognising that responsible procurement is now an essential part of due diligence’.