Active Surveillance of Engineered Stone Workers Facilitates Early Identification of Silicosis: A Discussion of Surveillance of Occupational Lung Diseases

Abstract

Silicosis in workers exposed to respirable crystalline silica while fabricating engineered stone products is an emerging respiratory health issue. We describe silicosis in engineered stone workers in California and examine clinical features by the source of identification. Cases were identified passively using hospital-based patient discharge data or actively through outreach and medical testing following enforcement investigation. Outcomes were examined based on the source of case identification. We identified 18 cases diagnosed between 2006 and 2020. Cases identified passively compared to other identification methods were associated with lower percent predicted forced vital capacity (FVC) (P ≤.01), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) (P ≤.01), and diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO) (P