Heartfelt thanks to reporter Rick Sobey for his timely story on the national epidemic of silicosis lung disease that has now reached Massachusetts in a stone countertop worker (“Massachusetts worker in stone countertop industry is state’s first case of ‘devastating, life-altering disease’,” Herald, Dec. 9).

Having seen many patients with silicosis from their jobs in mining, tunneling, ceramic manufacture, tuckpointing, and cement finishing, I have learned that prevention is the best (and only) treatment.

If you own or work in a stone countertop finishing shop and would like to assess the safety of your workplace, the Massachusetts Dept. of Labor will provide at your request a no-cost and confidential on-site evaluation, Safety WorksConsultation | Mass.gov

Or you can consult a certified

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