Frequently Asked Questions
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About the Program
About ISFA and This Program
Who is ISFA?
The International Surface Fabricators Association (ISFA) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association that represents countertop and surface fabrication shops — the businesses that cut, finish, and install stone, quartz, solid surface, porcelain, and other surfaces. ISFA provides safety training, education, and advocacy for fabricators. Its fabricator-only council, the American Countertop Manufacturers Council (ACMC), determines the positions ISFA takes on behalf of fabricators. Learn more at isfanow.org.
What is countertoplicensing.org?
It is ISFA’s public home for the Fabrication Shop Auditor Program, the petition for public comment, California shop registration, audit grant funding, science feedback, and our call for medical research.
What is the Fabrication Shop Auditor Program?
A program in which independent ISO 45001 auditors check fabrication shops against existing silica law and issue a pass/fail attestation. It starts with a six-month feasibility pilot in California, in coordination with Cal/OSHA.
Is this a license?
No. Only government can issue a license. The program issues a pass/fail attestation that a shop met the audit criteria on the date of its audit. ISFA is separately working, on a bipartisan basis, toward a federal Fabrication Shop License.
Does passing an audit protect my shop from Cal/OSHA citations or lawsuits?
No. An attestation does not limit Cal/OSHA’s authority to inspect or cite, and it is not a legal defense. It shows that your shop met the audit criteria on the audit date. Staying compliant every day is still your responsibility.
Why not just ban engineered stone?
That decision belongs to regulators. ISFA’s view is that the law already requires the controls that protect workers, and that the crisis is driven by shops not following it. A ban would not remove natural stone or new high-silica products from the market, and could push work toward unregistered, uninsured shops where exposures are worst. We are asking regulators to consider verified compliance as an alternative — and we are collecting the science so the decision rests on evidence.
Do I have to be an ISFA member?
No. Registration, audits, grants, and the registry are open to every shop on identical terms.
Who funds the program, and can funders influence results?
Audits are funded by restricted audit grants from manufacturers, distributors, and other partners. Funders do not choose shops, see individual results, or influence audit criteria or pass/fail decisions, and no grant is tied to buying any product.
The Process
The Audit
Why ISO 45001 auditors?
ISO 45001 is the international standard for occupational health and safety management systems. Auditors credentialed as ISO 45001 Lead Auditors are trained to evaluate whether an organization identifies hazards, controls them, trains people, checks its own performance, and fixes problems — exactly the system a shop needs to control silica every day, not just on inspection day.
Using established, independent auditors means (1) the auditor has no stake in the shop or its suppliers, (2) audits follow a recognized professional discipline, and (3) the program can scale nationally without building a new inspection workforce. ISFA has partnered with a network of more than 1,100 ISO 45001 auditors and provides additional silica and fabrication-specific training.
What does the audit check?
Your shop is checked against existing California rules in Title 8, section 5204: no dry cutting, no compressed air, no dry sweeping, wet methods on every tool, water filtration, PAPRs and fit testing, air monitoring, a written silica plan, training in your workers’ language, medical exams, recordkeeping, reporting, and two designated competent persons checking dust controls through the day.
What happens if my shop doesn't pass?
You get a written list of what to fix and up to 60 days to fix it, then a verification. Anything that is an imminent hazard, like dry cutting or missing respirators, must be fixed before cutting continues.
What does it cost?
Registration is free during the pilot. Audit grants cover the audit for eligible shops while funds last. Fixing any problems is the shop’s responsibility. See the California Shop Registration page.
I’m a one-person shop. Does this apply to me?
Yes, you can register. Cal/OSHA rules apply to employers with employees, but a sole owner-operator faces the same dust. The petition asks for comment on how the two-competent-person rule should work for very small shops.
Why two competent persons?
So someone trained and empowered to stop the work is always on the floor checking dust controls and cleanup, even when one person is off, sick, or on an install.
Worker Health
Materials and Health
Is natural or engineered (artificial) stone safer?
No stone is safe to cut without controls. Any material containing crystalline silica can release respirable dust that causes silicosis when it is cut, ground, or polished.
Engineered stone typically contains much higher crystalline silica (often more than 90%) than most natural stone, and California’s public health surveillance has linked the current epidemic overwhelmingly to engineered stone fabrication. Natural stone varies widely: marble is typically very low, granite commonly ranges lower to moderate, and some quartzites can be as high as engineered stone. Porcelain and sintered stone also contain silica.
That is why ISFA’s approach is product-agnostic: the same controls apply to every material, including new products that enter the market before anyone fully understands them. ISFA does not certify any material as safe, and shops should be careful with “low silica” or “safe stone” marketing claims — check the safety data sheet and follow the law for every slab.
What about “low-silica” or “no-silica” products?
Lower silica content may reduce hazard, but it does not remove it, and there are no national standards yet for testing and certifying silica content in slab products. ISFA is working toward those standards. Until then, treat every slab as hazardous and control the dust.
What is silicosis? Can it be cured?
Silicosis is an irreversible lung disease caused by breathing respirable crystalline silica dust. It can progress even after exposure stops. There is currently no approved treatment that reverses it; care focuses on managing symptoms, and some patients need lung transplants. That is why ISFA has issued an open call for medical research.
I’m a worker and worried about my health. What should I do?
Talk to a doctor experienced in occupational lung disease and tell them you work with stone. Your employer is required to provide silica medical surveillance. In California you can contact Cal/OSHA or CDPH’s occupational health resources. ISFA does not provide medical or legal advice.
Regulation & Policy
Law, Policy, and advocacy
What is happening at Cal/OSHA right now?
In May 2026 the Standards Board granted Petition 609, which asks to prohibit fabrication of engineered stone above 1% crystalline silica, and directed Cal/OSHA to develop emergency and permanent rules. Cal/OSHA’s Emergency Silica Advisory Committee met July 31, 2026, and posted a discussion draft on September 16, 2026, with comments due September 30, 2026. Check the Cal/OSHA website for current status.
Using established, independent auditors means (1) the auditor has no stake in the shop or its suppliers, (2) audits follow a recognized professional discipline, and (3) the program can scale nationally without building a new inspection workforce. ISFA has partnered with a network of more than 1,100 ISO 45001 auditors and provides additional silica and fabrication-specific training.
Is this only for California?
The pilot is in California. The approach is designed to scale to other states and to support a federal Fabrication Shop License, working with federal OSHA and state plans.
I’m outside the United States. Does this apply to me?
This program applies to U.S. shops, starting in California. Laws differ by country. We welcome comments, science, and research from around the world — engineered stone silicosis is a global problem, and some countries have taken different regulatory approaches.
Does ISFA Lobby?
Yes. ISFA advocates for fabricators and, through a registered federal lobbying firm, lobbies for federal licensing on a nonpartisan basis. ISFA complies with the Lobbying Disclosure Act and IRC §162(e) notice requirements.
How does ISFA handle competition and antitrust issues?
ISFA does not discuss or set prices, allocate customers, or coordinate boycotts. Program participation is open on identical terms, and the program does not direct shops to any supplier. See ISFA’s Antitrust Statement.
Your Information
Data & Privacy
How is my information used?
Only to run the program, review comments, match grants, and produce de-identified reports. ISFA does not sell personal information. Medical records are never collected — only the dates workers completed required exams. See the Privacy Notice.
Can I comment or register in Spanish?
Yes. Every page and form is available in English and Spanish. Sí — todas las páginas y formularios están disponibles en español.