The Tasmanian government has backed a ban on engineered stone following a recommendation by SafeWork Australia.
According to a Decision Regulation Impact Statement from SafeWork, there is no safe level of exposure to silica dust generated from cutting engineered stone, which poses a severe health risk to workers.
“Continued work with engineered stone poses an unacceptable risk to workers,” the report said.
“The use of all engineered stone should be prohibited.”
The October report highlighted that the first Australian case of silicosis linked to engineered stone was diagnosed in 2015 and said the number of cases has ‘substantially increased’ since then.
“While silicosis cases have been found in workers across a range of industries and silica-containing materials, a disproportionate number of silicosis diagnoses are in engineered stone workers.”
“There is no scientific evidence for a ‘safe’ threshold of crystalline silica content in engineered stone.”
Minister for Workplace Safety and Consumer Affairs Madeleine Ogilvie firmly supports the ban to ensure the safety of Tasmanian workers who have the “right to be safe at work, each and every day”.
“Our Government values a nationally consistent approach to ensuring that Tasmanian workers are not placed at risk, simply by going to work,” Ogilvie said.
The move comes as Bunnings has announced it will stop selling engineered stone by the end of the year in response to calls for a complete ban on the product.
“While there has been clear indication from NSW and other state governments that they will legislate a ban on the product, we are proactively making this decision to allow suppliers and customers time to prepare for a transition,” Bunnings director of merchandise Jen Tucker said.
“Our decision to stop selling engineered stone was directly in response to the reports released and the prospect of a ban on the sale in the near future.”
Engineered stone has been a popular choice in many Australian kitchens over the past two decades due to its cost-effectiveness compared to granite or marble.
However, when the material is cut, it releases fine silica dust that can harm the lungs when inhaled.
