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Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Wood has said he will do “whatever is required to keep people safe” after the Australian government looks set to ban kitchen bench tops and other products made from engineered stone.
Dust from the material can be deadly, and has been linked to the incurable and lung disease silicosis. Australian state governments are pushing for an outright ban on the material often used in kitchen and bathroom renovations after it was linked to an alarming spike in silicosis in young tradies, a disease likened to asbestosis.
Wood said a year-long investigation by WorkSafe into whether the risky product is used safely in New Zealand workplaces found “mixed practices”, over which he was concerned. About half of bench tops are made from the manmade material, which is different to natural stone.
Advice on any next steps to keep people safe from the material would come in the next few months, he said.
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Silicosis. Engineered stone. This lung X-ray shows permanent scarring caused by prolonged exposure to silica particles like those released during the cutting of engineered stone.
Asked whether there might be an outright ban on the material, Wood said the Government will do “whatever is required to keep people safe”.
“This is an area that Worksafe has been extensively engaging on over the past year, they have conducted multiple worksite visits to every engineered workplace in the country over the last year and have been providing very clear guidance and direction to those employers about minimising risk about what can be a risky product if the manufacturing processes are not done appropriately,” he said.
Pressure will likely come on to Wood, and the industry more generally as the Australian Federal Government looks likely to move to ban engineered stone in the coming weeks.
“The Albanese Labor government is deeply concerned about the spread of silicosis among Australian workers,” Australian Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke told the Sydney Morning Herald, which has done an investigating into deaths form Silicosis.
“We want a co-ordinated national response to this issue. That’s why I’ve put silicosis on the agenda at next week’s meeting of workplace health and safety ministers.
“A potential ban on imported manufactured stone products containing silica is one of the options we will discuss, along with stronger regulations across all industries where workers are exposed to silica. I have met with injured workers. It’s clear we need to do more – urgently.”
Amanda Cropp/Stuff
Engineered stone. Silicosis. Dust produced during polishing, sanding and grinding of engineered stone has been linked to accelerated silicosis, an incurable lung disease. Fabricators are being encouraged to take precautions to reduce worker exposure to the dust which contains much higher levels of silica than natural stone.
The Australian Council of Trade Unions has also called for a ban on the products.
In New Zealand, Worksafe has set up a free, direct way to test for the disease and employers had been told there would be enforcement action if they didn’t follow the guidance, Wood said.
“I have said to WorkSafe that this is an area I am keeping a close eye on because the risks can be high if the practices are not appropriate,” he said.
WorkSafe has sent hundreds of infringement notices to engineered stone businesses in the past few years but there are fears employers have not been getting the message.
About one in ten workers lodging ACC claims for exposure to the toxic dust have gone on to be diagnosed with the lung disease silicosis.
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