08/27/2026
Dr. Jenny Houlroyd, Manager, Occupational Health Services, is an expert in silica-related disease. She spoke with Bloomberg Law about the unique challenges Georgia workers face because it isn’t tracked the same way it is in other states.
The rise of engineered stone countertops comes with a hidden cost. Workers who cut and fabricate these materials face serious health risks from exposure to silica dust, which can cause silicosis, a potentially fatal lung disease.
Jenny Houlroyd, an environmental health and safety specialist and occupational safety instructor, spoke with Bloomberg Law about the unique challenges Georgia workers face because silica-related disease isn’t tracked or addressed the same way it is in other states.
“There is really no way under the current framework for us to know if there are cases and how many people would be diagnosed, which is why there’s such an urgency from researchers,” Houlroyd says.
“We know there are these gaps in surveillance, and we know that because of those gaps in surveillance, there are probably a large number of undocumented cases.”
Learn more about the regulatory challenges surrounding silica exposure and the growing need to better protect workers from this preventable illness: https://vist.ly/5g4ka
