Engineered Stone Cutting & Silica Control: Updated HSE & HSENI Expectations

As a specialist in Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) and airborne contaminant control, Carn Engineering is highlighting recent regulatory updates from both the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI), which reinforce a significant shift in how engineered stone fabrication must be controlled.

Engineered stone typically contains up to ~95% crystalline silica. Cutting, shaping, or polishing this material can generate high concentrations of respirable crystalline silica (RCS), a hazardous dust linked to silicosis, COPD, and lung cancer. Regulators across both Great Britain and Northern Ireland are now placing greater emphasis on engineering controls at source, rather than reliance on PPE or administrative controls alone.

HSE: strengthened expectations in Great Britain

The HSE’s current position reinforces several key control requirements:

• Dry mechanised cutting of engineered stone is no longer considered acceptable due to excessive RCS exposure risk

• Water suppression at the point of cutting is expected as a baseline control measure

• Employers must comply with COSHH requirements by ensuring:

1. Suitable and sufficient risk assessments are completed before work begins

2. Clear identification of exposure risks and affected workers

3. Effective exposure control measures implemented in line with Regulation 7

4. HSE has also confirmed increased inspection activity across stone fabrication sites, with a focus on demonstrable compliance through effective engineering controls.

HSENI: aligned expectations in Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, HSENI enforces equivalent requirements under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003.

HSENI guidance continues to emphasise:

• The serious health risks associated with respirable crystalline silica

• The need to control exposure using the hierarchy of control

• Priority use of engineering solutions such as Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) and wet suppression systems

• PPE (including RPE) as a secondary, last-line control measure only

This ensures a consistent regulatory approach across both jurisdictions, with a clear focus on prevention at source.

How Carn Engineering supports compliance and risk reduction

Carn Engineering helps fabricators, manufacturers, and engineering sites reduce exposure to hazardous dusts through robust, compliant, and performance-verified control systems.

Our services include:

LEV Testing & Examination (P601 Standard)

We carry out thorough LEV statutory examinations in line with the BOHS P601 standard, as expected by both HSE and HSENI. These assessments ensure systems are:

• Operating effectively and as designed

• Capturing contaminants at source

• Compliant with regulatory requirements

• Supported by clear, actionable reports for duty holders

LEV Design, Assessment & Optimisation

We support clients in identifying underperforming systems and improving capture efficiency through engineering-led solutions.

Compliance Assurance & Risk Reduction

Our approach focuses on ensuring LEV systems form a reliable, measurable barrier against exposure to RCS and other hazardous dusts, supporting both legal compliance and workforce protection.

By combining technical expertise with regulatory understanding, Carn Engineering helps clients move beyond minimum compliance toward verifiable, engineered control of airborne risk.

Further information

For official guidance, please refer to:

HSE engineered stone guidance: https://www.hse.gov.uk/stonemasonry/working-engineered-stone-control-silica-risk.htm

HSENI silica dust guidance: https://www.hseni.gov.uk/topics/silica-dust