A longtime worker in the stone countertop industry has been diagnosed with a “devastating, life-altering disease,” as state health officials alert employers.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is warning those in the stone countertop fabrication industry to protect workers from silica dust exposure after the first confirmed case of silicosis.

The preventable, yet incurable and progressive lung disease is caused by inhaling crystalline silica — which is found naturally in granite and other stones.

The state’s first confirmed case associated with occupational exposure in this industry was recently diagnosed in a man in his 40s. For the past 14 years, he had worked for two stone countertop fabrication and installation companies in the Bay State.

His work involved cutting and sh

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