Key Points
- Silicosis is a lung condition that is being likened to asbestosis that is causing concern among Australians.
- The dangers around silicosis have prompted calls to ban artificial stones that are found to be lined with silica.
- Here's what is currently known about silicosis, how dangerous it can be and whether you're at risk of the disease.
An incurable lung disease that is being linked back to the engineered stone used in common kitchen benchtops has elevated concerns about its safety for labourers and residents in Australian homes.
The lung disease, known as silicosis, has prompted state, territory, and federal ministers to discuss tougher regulations or a potential ban on kitchen benchtops made with engineered stone.
Concerns mounted following an on the dangers of silicosis arising from people who work closely with kitchen benchtops.
Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke warned this week that a "coordinated, national response is needed" on silicosis as more attention is being highlighted on its dangers.
"I have met with injured workers. It's clear we need to do more - urgently," he said.
Here's what you should know about silicosis and how dangerous it can be.
What is silicosis and what is engineered stone?
Silicosis is a lung disease mainly caused by inhaling silica, a mineral commonly found in certain types of rock or soil. Silica dust is created by cutting, drilling, grinding, or polishing certain types of stone, rock, sand, and clay.
Over time, inhaling the dust causes inflammation, scarring of the lung tissue, and stiffening of the lungs, making it difficult to breathe.
Engineered stone is ground stone combined with resin to make a slab that resembles natural stone, such as marble or granite. Engineered stone can contain up to 95 per cent silica.
Dr Simon Bowler, a respiratory physician at Brisbane's Mater Hospital, previously expressed his concern about what many GPs already call a health epidemic.
"In many ways, [silicosis] is analogous with asbestos," he said.
"It combines with oxygen and water in the lungs to produce an acidic environment and it sets off high levels of inflammation. In the worst cases, which we’ve seen, within a few years people can get very rapid progression of lung damage."
The dust can't be inhaled if the kitchen benchtop remains untouched by residents.
It's when the stone is cut that the dust can be inhaled and become dangerous. Workers must cut the stone while wet to avoid inhaling the dust and should wear protective gear. But those protections aren't always in place.
'The asbestos of the 2020s'
The Construction Forestry Maritime Mining Energy Union has threatened to ban members from working with it by mid-next year unless all imports and manufacturing ends.
"Here in Australia, we want to eradicate this product, " union official Zach Smith told reporters in Melbourne on Monday
Asbestos was banned 70 years after the dangers of the material became known and Mr Smith labelled silica dust "the asbestos of the 2020s."
Occupational hygienist Kate Cole said there was no evidence the material can be worked on safely despite mitigation measures like masks.
"The stonemasonry sector has a huge amount of issues with noncompliance," she said.
Occupational and Environment Physician Dr Warren Harrex said cases of silicosis jumped in the past 10 years and called for mandatory air quality monitoring in dusty workplaces
"Dust exposure in workers may not be evident until retirement, with chronic obstructive lung disease contributing to a burden on public health expenditure," he said.
The full scale of silicosis in Australia is still unknown but the numbers are increasing. More than 600 people in NSW, Queensland, and Victoria have been diagnosed with the potentially deadly silicosis.
One of them is an administrative worker and mother of two, Joanna McNeill.
She said she felt healthy when she went for a routine medical check before finishing maternity leave, so it came as a huge shock when she was diagnosed with a deadly and incurable disease.
She worked in a portable office at a quarry for over four years and breathed in enough silica dust for it to wreak havoc on her body. Now, her life is now a constant battle against pain and illness.
"It's definitely really hard being a mum of two girls," Ms McNeill said, wiping away tears.
"I want to be there for them because I don't know what my future holds."
Why are the numbers growing?
Kitchen benchtops made from engineered stone are particularly dangerous, with about one in four stonemasons who work with them developing silicosis.
But the numbers have only increased recently, and it's thought to mainly be a result of the housing boom leading to an uptick in demand for artificial stone for kitchen, bathroom and laundry benchtops.
It's popular because it's cheaper than natural stone or other alternatives such as timber or porcelain, even though diagnosed cases of silicosis have increased over the past decade.
Exposures in tunnelling and road building may also have contributed, with a resurgence of cases also in the mining industry.
What are symptoms to look out for?
Some symptoms that people should look out for include:
- Shortness of breath
- Dry or productive (sputum) cough
- Wheezing
- Tiredness
- Chest pain
- Weight loss
What rules are in place to protect workers?
Stonemason Kyle Goodwin was diagnosed with silicosis at just 33 after years of cutting engineered stone benchtops. He's the face of a new advertising blitz by unions as they ramp up the push to ban engineered stone.
"Unfortunately myself and my friends have been diagnosed and we were essentially the guinea pigs for this product," he said.
"Don't let mine or their deaths be in vain, let's make a change for the better."
Former stonemason Kyle Goodwin is the face of a campaign to ban the engineered stone that is linked to silicosis. Source: AAP / Diego Fedele
Most states have banned dry cutting, too, but unionists are pushing for a total ban on working with engineered stone.
The Construction Forestry Maritime Mining Energy Union has threatened to ban members from working with it by mid-next year unless there is an end to all imports and manufacturing.
Incoming Construction Forestry Maritime Mining Energy Union national secretary Zach Smith told reporters on Monday he wanted to see the product "eradicated".
With AAP
