Silica Guidance Documents Now Available

Words: Amy Oakley

Oberlin, OH, August 6, 2024—The Natural Stone Institute and the International Surface Fabricators Association are proud to introduce two guidance documents for workplace silica exposure assessment assembled by the Yale School of Medicine. These documents are available in both English and Spanish and can be found on the NSI silica webpage.

The Fabricator Guidance Document provides resources for sourcing workplace air monitoring for respirable dust and crystalline silica. It also includes best practices for when sampling should be scheduled, what information should be provided to the consultant, and how long reports should be retained.

The Sampling Firm/Consultant Guidance Document shares general requirements, sample strategies, minimum documentation, and laboratory results. It also details what should be included in a final consultant report, including both regulatory and best practice-based recommendations for the client.

Where to get silica sampling was a regular question fielded by the NSI technical department. NSI Accreditation & Technical Manager Mark Meriaux shares: “These documents should help our members and the industry at large better understand the process of air monitoring for respirable crystalline silica (RCS). A recent survey and data collection project with Yale researchers revealed that there is little consistency of information gathered in professional sampling reports. These two new documents define best practices in air monitoring for RCS and give a better understanding of expectations to those companies who haven’t started air monitoring.”

All industry members are encouraged to download these documents online at www.naturalstoneinstitute.org/silica.

-------------------------------------------
About the Natural Stone Institute
The Natural Stone Institute is a trade association representing every aspect of the natural stone industry. The current membership exceeds 2,000 members in over 50 nations. The association offers a wide array of technical and training resources, professional development opportunities, regulatory advocacy, and networking events. Two prominent publications—the Dimension Stone Design Manual and Building Stone Magazine—raise awareness within the natural stone industry and in the design community for best practices and uses of natural stone. Learn more at www.naturalstoneinstitute.org.

About the International Surface Fabricators Association
The International Surface Fabricators Association (ISFA) is globally recognized as a premier trade organization serving the architectural surface industry. ISFA exists to help fabricators and other industry professionals increase product quality, improve safety measures, encourage professionalism and elevate profitability by facilitating education, standards, and camaraderie. ISFA values innovation, dependability, trust, honesty, ethics, and serving others above all else. Learn more at www.isfanow.org.
GEN NXT: Luis Sontay
September 2026

For this month, the MCAA got to sit down with aspiring mason Luis Sontay. From taking an interest in masonry as a kid to placing 1st in a postsecondary competition, Luis’ dedication and passion for the trade is clear. Luis describes his early passion fo

Justin Stengel
GEN NXT
Read More
Mentmore Towers, Fort Point, and More
September 2026

The Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, UK, stands as a sweeping estate that represents the absolute peak of English masonry. Conceived with breathtaking scale and precision, the monumental complex is defined by

Justin Stengel
Masonry in the Media
Read More
The Alhambra
September 2026

High above Granada, Spain, the Alhambra offers masonry professionals something more than an architectural landmark. It is a working lesson in how relatively simple building materials, placed by skilled craftsmen and maintained over generations, can create

Cass Stern
Marvelous Masonry
Read More
The Wall
September 2026

There is a story around Huntley Brothers that some of our guys simply call “The Wall.” I’ve told it enough times over the years that when I start telling it to one of our younger guys, I can see a few of the older ones rolling their eyes. They’ve heard i

Kent Huntley
Chairman’s Message
Read More