Anything that contains silica... which includes concrete, practically anything stone based. This has nothing to do with this material being particularly dangerous above and beyond what is expected with any material cutting. You should not be cutting anything at the industrial scale without proper PPE.

The materials are a second order effect. Undoubtedly breathing granite, soapstone or whatever dust isn't good for you either. Maybe it just takes longer to kill you.

Sure, but the article focuses on "the booming popularity of countertops made of engineered stone", without specifying what that actually is.

How can I avoid buying these products or reduce exposure to these more dangerous materials if I'm a worker? Is porcelain "engineered stone"?

They should have ppe for any cutting, regardless, I agree.

I think the issue is that people are opting for "engineered stone" over wooden laminate which doesn't have the same issue.

So whether it is engineered or natural stone the problem is that stone cutting has dust that needs to be dealt with. But the emerging issue is that with the rising popularity of engineered stone, a higher percentage of countertops overall are hazardous to cut.

Isn't soapstone closely related to asbestos? I'd expect it to produce the same type of powder that makes asbestos so dangerous (and on top of silicosis it can give you mesothelioma)

Soapstone is primarily composed of talc. Talc deposits sometimes have asbestos minerals included in them.

Pretty much any aerosolized mineral is going to wreak havoc on your lungs.

True, but it seems asbestos because of the particular shape of the fiber is particularly nasty and more likely to cause mesothelioma