RA-HS156 Engineered Stone Worktop Fabrication and Fitting
| File Reference : | Risk Assessment Engineered Stone Worktop |
This example covers cutting, grinding, polishing and fitting engineered stone worktops - the highest-risk silica task there is, with wet processing, PAPR and health surveillance controls.
This example risk assessment has been prepared using the
F-HS20 General Risk Assessment form template - a purpose-built template designed to focus entirely on what matters: identifying hazards, rating risk and recording controls, without any unnecessary fields getting in the way.
The file is supplied in fully editable MS Word format and can be saved to Google Docs if required, with pre-defined styles throughout to match the risk ratings.
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Risk Assessment - Engineered Stone Worktop Fabrication and Fitting
This pre-completed general risk assessment covers the fabrication and installation of engineered stone (quartz composite) worktops - cutting, grinding, edge polishing, drilling and dry or wet fitting. Engineered stone can contain up to 95% crystalline silica, so processing it is the single highest-risk source of respirable crystalline silica (RCS) in the trade, capable of causing accelerated silicosis within months or years. It considers fabricators, CNC and hand-tool operators, fitters, labourers, cleaners and others sharing the workshop air.
The controls reflect the position set out in the dedicated COSHH guidance the HSE published for engineered stone in May 2026 - dry processing is unacceptable, on-tool or wet-bench water suppression is how the legal duty is met, and powered respiratory protection and health surveillance are expected as standard.
What Does This Risk Assessment Cover?
The assessment addresses the significant hazards of working engineered stone, including:
- Respirable crystalline silica - accelerated silicosis, lung cancer, COPD and kidney disease from dust released during processing
- Dry cutting and grinding - treated as never acceptable, with wet methods or on-tool extraction mandatory
- Slurry and settled dust - dried slurry re-releasing RCS, controlled by wet clean-up and HEPA vacuuming
- Manual handling of slabs - heavy, awkward loads with cutting and crushing potential
- Powered tools and machinery - CNC, bridge saws, angle grinders and polishers, with noise and HAV exposure
- Respiratory protection and health surveillance - powered air-purifying respirators and periodic lung monitoring
- Site fitting - controlling any on-site adjustment so dust is not generated dry in kitchens and occupied spaces
How the Risks Are Rated
Every hazard is scored twice. The inherent rating shows the risk before controls are considered, and the residual rating shows the risk that remains once the listed controls are in place - giving a clear picture of how much each set of controls is actually doing. Ratings are selected from pre-populated drop-down boxes, with document styles that colour-match each rating automatically.
Who Is This Risk Assessment For?
This assessment is suitable for any business fabricating or fitting engineered stone, including:
- Worktop fabricators and stone processing workshops
- Kitchen and bathroom worktop installers
- Stonemasonry businesses handling quartz composite
- Shopfitters and joiners working with composite surfaces
Pairs With the COSHH Assessment
This task-based risk assessment works alongside the substance-based COSHH-97 Engineered Stone Dust assessment - use both together so the task hazards and the RCS exposure controls are fully documented. Further background is available in the Engineered Stone and Silica Dust knowledge base article.
Health and Safety Compliance
This document provides ready-to-use evidence of risk assessment and supports occupational health and safety management. The assessment is based on the F-HS20 General Risk Assessment template, is fully editable in Microsoft Word, and can be customised with your company details, site-specific information and review dates.