From today, engineered stone is banned in Australia in a bid to protect workers from inhaling deadly silica dust, which has long been linked to diseases such as lung cancer and silicosis. The ban on the manufacture, supply, processing and installation of engineered stone comes after years of campaigning by unions, public health professionals, and doctors to protect the health of workers who cut and install engineered stone, the type used for kitchen benchtops. So, many homeowners will now be looking for alternatives when building and renovating their homes.
But how safe are these alternatives? Here are some options and what they mean for the health of tradespeople who cut and install these products. Silicosis is not a new occupational lung disease. For instance, it's been reported since ancient times in stonemasons and miners who breathed in silica dust .
In Australia, we've seen it for decades in construction and demolition workers. However, until the past ten years or so, case numbers were low, both in Australia and internationally. That was until the introduction of engineered stone, a particularly potent source of silica dust.
Some engineered stone contains 90% or more silica. This led to an unprecedented re-emergence of the disease. An estimated one in four engineered stone workers has already developed silicosis as a result of their exposure.
Many more will continue to be affected in the future. In 2019, the Australian government set up a taskforce to deal with the grow.
