By Leonie Thorne and Michael Atkin
The problem with engineered stone is that when it is cut, ground or polished, it produces silica dust that when inhaled leads to silicosis. Photo: 123RF
Australia has become the first country to announce a ban on engineered stone following a surge in workers developing the lung disease silicosis.
Commonwealth, state, and territory workplace ministers unanimously agreed to implement a national ban on the product at a long-awaited meeting on Wednesday afternoon.
The ban will start on 1 July, 2024 in most states and territories.
The world-first decision comes after hundreds of workers developed silicosis from working on engineered stone, a popular material mostly used for kitchen benches and bathroom vanities.
Ministers also agreed to a "transition period" for engineered stone contracts entered into before the ban was announced, with arrangements to be finalised at a later meeting.
The federal government will also impose a ban on imported engineered stone to provide an "additional layer of enforcement and deterrence at the border", however the date has not been finalised yet.
Trade unions, health organisations and personal injury law firms have all welcomed the ban, saying it will save lives.
"Engineered stone is a fashion product that is killing the workers who make it," Australian Council of Trade Unions assistant secretary Liam O'Brien said.
"With alternatives readily available, why are we risking the lives of tradies for a fashionable finish in our kitchens?"
Caesarstone, a large engineered stone manufacturer, said it was "deeply disappointed" by the decision.
A spokesperson said the reasoning behind the decision was "flawed" and that singling out engineered stone would not eliminate the risk of silicosis in the workplace.
"Most importantly, it [the decision] fails to address the real cause of rising silicosis rates - poor compliance with and enforcement of safety standards," they said.
Popular material sparked a rise in lung disease
Engineered stone, a durable and affordable alternative to natural materials like granite and marble, exploded in popularity in Australia throughout the 2000s.
However doctors began sounding the alarm after noticing a surge in stonemasons developing silicosis, a long-term and sometimes fatal lung disease caused by inhaling unsafe levels of silica dust.
One of those doctors, respiratory physician Ryan Hoy, said the disease was mostly striking down young men in the prime of their work lives.
"Some of these people with silicosis, they're extremely sick … we have a condition which caused them to become so short of breath it's hard to do just normal daily activities," he said.
Since the first Australian silicosis case linked to working on engineered stone was reported in 2015, hundreds more cases have emerged.
Unions joined doctors to campaign for a ban, arguing it could become the "asbestos of the 2020s" due to the risks it posed to workers' health.
An 'important win for thousands of workers'
Earlier this year workplace ministers tasked Safe Work Australia, a government WHS agency, with investigating how a ban could work and whether low-silica engineered stone could remain on the market safely.
The report found there was no safe level of silica, concluding: "The use of all engineered stone should be prohibited."
The Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union's (CMFEU) Zach Smith said the nationwide ban would "stop the deadly scourge of silicosis in its tracks".
"This is an important win for the thousands of workers that have been forced to use this product, which has caused them to contract life-ending silicosis," he said.
"Let's be clear about this - the decision that's been made by the various levels of government today will save lives."
'From the breadwinner to nothing'
Safe Work found that while silicosis cases could emerge in several industries, the numbers were "disproportionate" among engineered stone workers.
Engineered stone workers also suffered a faster disease progression and were more likely to die from it, the report said.
The majority of engineered stone workers diagnosed with silicosis were under 35.
Over five years of reporting, the ABC has spoken to more than a dozen stonemasons, many in their 20s or 30s with young families, whose lives have been shattered by the disease.
They have told the ABC about its devastating consequences: struggling to breathe properly, needing lung transplants and facing an early death.
Former stonemason Ben Harrison, 34, was diagnosed with silicosis four years ago and told the ABC he supported a ban.
"I've gone from being the breadwinner of the house … to being nothing," he said.
More details to be worked out
Workplace ministers are due to hold another meeting in March 2024 to work out details for the transition period for engineered stone contracts that have already been implemented.
Caesarstone said a transition period of six months would not be enough time to avoid "significant disruption" to the construction and homebuilding industry.
"A longer period [is] needed to ensure industry can meet the anticipated demand for substitute products and that fabricators with the necessary financial resources can retool and retrain employees to work on other products," a spokesperson said.
The Housing Industry Association said the ban had caused uncertainty and concern to the small businesses that supply engineered stone, adding that new machinery and alternative products would be needed.
"It is critical following today's decision that governments now prepare a detailed industry transition plan that addresses these and other key matters," association managing director Jocelyn Martin said.
Dr Hoy said broader change was needed to make sure a similar crisis did not happen again.
"We can't be waiting until people develop disease and they die from conditions related to work before we start acting," he said.
"We really need to change the ways to identify problems at work, and act before people become sick."
- This story was first published in the ABC
