[+] Stone Ban Initiated as Governments Get Serious About Silicosis

Australia’s work, health and safety ministers have given the green light to plans that will ban manufactured stone products. The move comes following an investigation into the proliferation of silicosis in the construction industry, as well as lobbying and warnings from unions and workplace health and safety bodies. This week, Federal workplace minister Tony Burke, who has spearheaded efforts to ban engineered stone, said silica had the potential to become “the new asbestos”. “We’re not going to make that mistake again,” he told ministers in Canberra. The ban will not come into effect immediately, with suggestions that it may be 2024 until it does. But now that the go-ahead has been given, Safe Work Australia will start work on what the ban will cover, such as prohibiting materials with a proscribed amount of silica. A silent killer While the ban debate had only just made it to Canberra and to the summit of state ministers, the issue is one the industry has been aware about for some time. But the true extent of the problem was only fully revealed by a report last year from Curtin University . As a result of that report, Queensland industrial relations minister Grace Grace approved the country’s first silica dust code of practice in her state to ensure dust control methods to prevent silica dust being generated, such as water suppression. The Australian Workers Union visited parliament in Canberra at the end of last year to urge reforms to how the nation deals with workplace silica dust be accelerated. ▲ Workplace minister Tony Burke has spearheaded efforts to have engineered stone banned due to its potential to cause silicosis, as seen in a histopathology. Engineered stone has been a staple of developments for decades, but in recent years there has been an uptick in it use across the country, including from “dramatically” increased government infrastructure investment, according to the Curtin report. Silica dust is generated in workplace processes including cutting, drilling, grinding and polishing man-made products that contain silica, according to Safe Work Australia. Silica dust particles from these processes can penetrate the lungs and cause irreversible lung damage. Non-crystalline or amorphous forms of silica do not cause this kind of damage. Managing the risk posed by silica dust has been in the works for a number of years. Master Builders Australia said it would consult members on an ultimatum put by the construction union banning the use of engineered stone by its members by 2024, unless a nationwide ban was imposed in the meantime. The report commissioned by the Australian Council of Trade Unions from Curtin University found that as many as 10,000 Australians are predicted to develop lung cancer in their lifetime from being exposed to silica dust. “While engineered stone came into the industry [in the 1980s], it wasn’t until recently that products were being used more and more,” report co-author Dr Renee Carey said. “Although silicosis from engineered stone can take a couple of years to develop, the cases started to pile up from around 2014 and we started seeing this massive increase in cases which has shocked everyone. “More and more people are being exposed to the point where it looks like one in four who are exposed are developing silicosis—and it’s cumulative.” ▲ Approximately 10,000 lung cancer cases a year could be prevented by the ban on engineered stone. Unsurprisingly, manufacturers such as Caesarstone, which says there are currently two million homes and businesses across the country with engineered stone, have been vocal in opposition to such changes. “A ban on engineered stone, as has been advocated by some, will not solve the issue of silicosis in Australia,” they said in a blog post before today’s announcement from the national capital. “The truth is that any material containing silica—from engineered stone to concrete and natural stones like granite and sandstone—poses risks if not handled properly. “But the risk of silicosis can be avoided if proper equipment is used and proper safety controls are followed, like wet-cutting to suppress dust.” The company suggested that there were alternatives. “What is needed instead is the long-recommended but never-delivered nationwide approach to this issue,” the post said. “This would include a rigorous and enforceable nationwide licensing scheme with independent certification to ensure stone fabricators meet safety standards to protect workers.” Provisions and prevention The report suggested that while control factors such as PPE and processing using water could have a “significant impact” on the number of cases, eliminating the product would be by far the most effective solution. ▲ Between 83,090 and 103,860 silicosis cases are expected to result from current silica exposure. “We’ve pushed for eliminating it because that is the only way to prevent the problem and that is borne out in the numbers,” Dr Carey says. “The number of cases of silicosis we would avoid by eliminating it altogether would be 1000 annually, whereas other things we could do eliminate only 300 to 400 cases. “Even if you use those administrative and engineering controls, one on its own is not as effective, and it’s not just the people working with it, it’s everyone around them. “If you’re aware enough you might use your mask but someone working in an office next door might not.” While some in the industry have criticised the issue as overblown, Dr Carey says that the comparison with asbestos was fair. “Silica is probably worse than the next asbestos because it’s causing huge amounts of disease. Asbestos can cause major issues 40 to 50 years down the track, whereas silica is much quicker as well as being irreversible and incurable.” You are currently experiencing The Urban Developer Plus (TUD+), our premium membership for property professionals. Click here to learn more.

[+] Stone Ban Initiated as Governments Get Serious About Silicosis

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