ISFA Petitions California for Shop Licensing; Launches CountertopLicensing.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Petition asks for a licensed, independently audited path for every countertop and surface material; public comment and science feedback open through November 13, 2026

NORTH KANSAS CITY, Mo. — September 28, 2026 — The International Surface Fabricators Association (ISFA) today filed a petition with the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board asking it to adopt a new regulation, proposed Title 8 Section 5204.2, that would require every countertop and surface fabrication shop in California to hold a license and pass an independent third-party compliance audit. ISFA also launched CountertopLicensing.org, where fabricators, workers, manufacturers, the medical community and the public can comment on the petition and submit scientific evidence.

The petition responds to the silicosis crisis among California fabrication workers. It offers the Board a Verified Compliance Pathway as a reasonable alternative to prohibition, one that applies to engineered stone, natural stone and every other surface material. The proposed section stands alongside the existing silica standard, Section 5204, and does not amend or weaken it.

What the petition asks

Under the proposal, a shop could fabricate countertop and surface materials only while it:

• holds a license for each location;
• passes an independent audit by an ISO 45001 Lead Auditor from a provider the Division recognizes;
• carries workers’ compensation for everyone who performs or supports fabrication; however they are classified;
• provides medical surveillance and reports exposure monitoring results to the Division; and
• stops fabricating immediately after a failed audit, failure to report or an Order Prohibiting Use.

ISFA also asks the Board to consider the pathway in the pending Petition 609 rulemaking, refer the petition to the Emergency Silica Advisory Committee with fabrication employers and workers at the table, and accept into the record the public comments and scientific submissions ISFA collects.

“Every worker deserves to go home healthy, and every shop that follows the law deserves a way to prove it,” said Laurie Weber, Chief Executive Officer of ISFA. “The record shows that most California shops have never been inspected. This petition gives the Board a way to reach every one of them, for every material, not only the ones inspectors can find.”

CountertopLicensing.org: comment and science feedback open now

CountertopLicensing.org is the home of the petition and the program behind it. Visitors can:

• read the full petition and comment on the draft language;
• submit scientific evidence, data or expert opinion in response to 16 published questions, including evidence that disagrees with ISFA;
• register a California shop for an independent audit, or apply for an audit grant; and
• make a commitment to fund audits.

The first phase of the public comment period runs from September 29 through November 13, 2026, and science feedback is open through the same date. ISFA will file every comment and submission with the Board unedited, along with a neutral summary that includes points of disagreement. ISFA has asked to present the petition during public comment at the Board’s November 19, 2026 meeting.

ISFA is not a scientific body and does not claim to settle the science. Each science submission is labeled by its source, from peer-reviewed research to individual professional opinion, and conflicts of interest are disclosed alongside it.

Built on ACMC’s groundwork

Come of the language in the petition grew out of the work of the American Countertop Manufacturers Council (ACMC), ISFA’s standing council for licensing advocacy. As ACMC structured itself and adopted its policies and procedures, it developed two pieces the petition relies on: the definition of a countertop and surface fabrication business, and the reference list of recognized standards for each countertop material. Both appear in the proposed regulation.

“ACMC’s work to organize itself and put its policies and procedures in writing is what gave this petition its definitions and its standards,” Weber said. “That structure is still adapting as we learn, and we still have a lot of work to do. We are asking for comment because we want the whole industry, and the people who study this disease, to help us get it right.”

ISFA’s stated goal is industry consensus. The petition is product-neutral and is not intended to harm any engineered stone or natural stone representative. Consensus work is conducted under ISFA’s antitrust compliance statement, and participation does not require ISFA membership.

Testing the pathway in California shops and the rest of the country

To give the Board evidence from real workplaces, ISFA has created a program to collect grants to fund a six-month feasibility program with a goal of 300 California shops, members and non-members on the same terms. Independent ISO 45001 Lead Auditors will conduct the audits, and qualified professionals will take air samples at no fewer than 45 shops to submit feasibility. ISFA will report interim results in month 3 and a six-month feasibility report to the Board, the Division and the Emergency Silica Advisory Committee.

The cost of each audit has been held to $5,000 and is paid through audit grants from manufacturers, importers, distributors and fabricators. Funders do not choose which shops are audited and see only combined, de-identified results. A passing audit does not replace any legal requirement: every participating shop remains fully responsible for complying with Section 5204, SB 20 and, once adopted, Section 5204.2.

The work starts in California, but the structure is built to work anywhere. ISFA's partnership with more than 1,100 ISO 45001 auditors lets shops in every state take part in the feasibility program now. Only California shop data will be reported to California regulators, and results from other states will show how the same approach performs across the country. As an industry, we need to get ready for licensing and independent verification. ISFA urges every shop, in California and beyond, to register at CountertopLicensing.org to take part.

About ISFA

The International Surface Fabricators Association is a nonprofit 501(c)(6) trade association representing countertop and surface fabrication shops. Through its Fabricator Safety Initiative, ISFA offers weekly silica awareness training in English and Spanish, free to members, and is a technical committee member of ISO/TC 328, Engineered stones. Learn more at isfanow.org.

About ACMC

The American Countertop Manufacturers Council is a standing council of ISFA that serves as the consensus body to review fabrication shop challenges and how to use ISFA to address them. ACMC maintains policies and procedures that define a countertop and surface fabrication business and the materials fabricated as reference used in the petition.

Media contact

Mikaela Coffey, ISFA Chief of Brand · mikaela@isfanow.org · 888.599.4732

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