Safe Work Australia has recently published “the Decision Regulation Impact Statement: Prohibition on the use of engineered stone”. A report in which recommends a prohibition on the use of all engineered stone to protect the health and safety of workers. This report was preceded by an announcement of the Australian Council of Trade Unions that they will ban the use of Engineered Stone on Union worksites with or without federal assistance by July 2024.
As Safe Work Australia states “Engineered Stone workers exposed to respirable crystalline silica are significantly over-represented in silicosis cases and they are being diagnosed with silicosis at a much younger age than workers from other industries”. This action toward an Engineered Stone Ban comes as many Australians are developing silicosis as a result of working with these materials, being cited by many as a health epidemic.
