From morning to evening, six days a week, Gustavo Reyes Gonzalez spent his days cutting engineered stone, a man-made product that has become a popular choice for kitchen and bathroom countertops. The glossy slabs resist stains, are highly durable and come in many colors. They are also rife with crystalline silica: tiny particles that can irreparably scar the lungs when inhaled.
His mask grew 'very filthy,' he testified. Even when he used water while cutting, Reyes Gonzalez said that after it dried, 'a lot of dust would come off.' Caesarstone argued in court that the company had given the shops all the information they needed to protect workers, including guidance on ventilation and wet cutting to tamp down dust. Its attorney, Peter Strotz, said what happened to the worker was a tragedy, but a preventable one.