Introduction
There is a lot of talk in the market at the moment around a new killer in the Australian Building Industry – Silicosis.
But what is silicosis and how should it impact Brisbane residents’ decision making for new engineered stone benchtops?
As with most things the details are far more nuanced than they seem at first
Article Intent
This article aims to help you:
a) understand what silicosis is and how it is effecting Australian engineered stone benchtop manufacturers
b) what is happening in the Australian market to eliminate silicosis and make sure workers are safe
c) feel empowered to make your purchasing decision knowing that your engineered stone benchtop is not harming anyone, including your family
What Is Silicosis And How Do You Get It
Crystalline silica is found in many types of rock, gravel, clay, and stone. It is a naturally occurring compound and up until recently, made up about 90-95% of any engineered stone product.
Silica dust can also be found in the following products:
- bricks
- tiles
- concrete
- some plastic material
- engineered stone products
When working on these materials, particularly when cutting, polishing, and grinding them, very fine silica dust is produced. 100 times smaller than a grain of sand, silica dust can be inhaled into the lungs which is harmful, even deadly.
You may be exposed to silica dust if your work involves:
- breaking, crushing, grinding, or milling material containing silica dust by
- sandblasting or casting
- paving, surfacing, or cement finishing
- bricklaying
- demolition work
- road construction
- mineral ore-treating processes
- manufacture of glass, ceramics, brick, concrete, tile, metals, or machinery
- stone masonry
What Is Happening To Protect Australians
What may surprise you to know is that silica-based disease as it relates to the stone benchtop industry is not a recent discovery. It has been known since the mid 2000s (around the time that engineered stone was first introduced to Australia) that if proper safety and risk management protocols were not adhered to, people could develop silica-related diseases.
Despite the establishment of industry bodies such as the Australian Engineered Stone Advisory Group (AESAG), to ensure the highest risk management and safety procedures are adopted, some have been slow to do so (or have not done so at all), leaving many workers exposed to silica dust day to day. So, as the risk of contracting silica dust-related disease is so high and the diseases so severe, the Australian Government moved to ban the sale of engineered stone that contains silica from 1st July 2024. This is a good decision. The industry too has taken steps to evolve their products so that they are fit and safe for stone masons and benchtop workers worldwide.
Since as early as 2019 suppliers have been looking for ways to lower the silica content of engineered stone and currently there are products with as little as 5% silica available on the Australian market. Most sit somewhere between 20-40% (down from 95%).
An exciting development is that 0% silica-engineered stone will be available in Australia, in the 4th quarter of FY2024. That’s right! Consumers will soon be able to purchase zero percent silica-engineered stone before the ban will come into effect on 1st July. This truly does represent a quantum leap forward in technology in record time. Be sure to ask your chosen benchtop fabricator about these options when making your purchase decisions to protect workers but also any engineered stone installed after 30th June 2024 will need to be zero silica stone.
Lastly, it is important to note that engineered stone benchtops are completely safe once they have been installed. Engineered stone poses no risk of silicosis or other silica-based diseases unless it releases fine silica dust, i.e. dry cutting, grinding, or polishing.
Important
When choosing a stone mason to supply your new benchtops, first confirm that they adhere to Part 4.9 of the Model Work Health and Safety Regulations, most importantly the use of a closed wet cut system to suppress and remove dust in the
factory, full PPE that complies with complies with AS/NZS 1716:2012 (Respiratory protective devices) and no dry cutting whatsoever in factory or on site.
More resources can be found about silicosis can be found on the Cancer Council of Australia website.