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Ronnie came to Australia for a better life. Now he has an incurable disease
Ronnie Ponggos worked as a stonemason for decades, but it was during his time working with materials in Australia that he developed silicosis. He's now speaking out as state and federal governments consider their response.
Published 28 February 2023 7:07am
Updated 3 March 2023 1:52pm
By Tom Stayner
Source: SBS News
Image: Ronnie Ponggos wants the use of high-silica-engineered stone to be banned in Australia. (SBS News / Tom Stayner)
For Ronnie Ponggos a decision to move to Australia from the Philippines 14 years ago to work as a stonemason has come at a sacrifice predicted to cost him his life.
The 59-year-old has been diagnosed with chronic silicosis - an incurable lung disease - caused by inhaling tiny particles of silica dust from cutting stone benchtops and tiles often seen in Australian kitchens.
"It is a sacrifice for me," he told SBS News.
"The doctor told me my life expectancy would be eight to 10 years because of this kind of illness.
"I feel really really sad because I never expected this would happen to me here in Australia."
I never expected this would happen to me here in Australia.- Ronnie Ponggos, Former stonemason
Ronnie worked as a stonemason in the Philippines for more than 20 years and in 2009 moved to Perth on a 457 visa, sponsored by a local stone bench top and tiling company.
It was a decision persuaded by a desire to financially provide for his three children, now adults, and parents back in the Philippines.
His X-ray on arrival in Australia showed no lung abnormalities.
Ronnie then worked for 11 years across several companies before the full toll of his exposure to silica dust was realised through his diagnosis.
"When I look back now the workers should be protected," he said.
Ronnie Ponggos has been forced to give up his job as a result of his health condition. Source: Supplied / Ronnie Ponggos
He would sometimes put a handkerchief or T-shirt over his face to protect himself but said he now better understands the danger he was exposed to.
"Over time, inhaling silica dust causes inflammation which leads to scarring of the lung tissue which can cause stiffening of the lungs, making it difficult to breathe," Lung Foundation Australia advises.
The illness has had consequences for Ronnie's quality of life, leaving him with shortness of breath, a persistent cough, and difficulty playing tennis and basketball, once his hobbies.
He has been forced to give up his job as a stonemason and now works as an Uber driver.
State and federal ministers consider ban
Ronnie is now among those urging Australia to ban the importation and use of stone products considered dangerous to save others from suffering his fate, as federal and state workplace health and safety ministers meet to consider their response to the issue.
Public attention on silicosis has intensified after an investigation last week by the Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes on its impact on workers in Australia.
A major concern centres on the use of high-silica engineered stone commonly used to manufacture kitchen benchtops containing up to 95 per cent silica content.
Workers using these products are diagnosed with silicosis at a much higher rate than the general population.
Federal and state workplace health and safety ministers met on Tuesday 28 February to consider a potential ban on importing stone products containing silica as well as stronger regulations.
Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke said afterwards that ministers unanimously agreed to begin the steps toward implementing a national ban but that it would take some time.
Government agency Safe Work Australia has been tasked with scoping out the work.
Ronnie said he never encountered the use of these stone products when he worked as a stonemason in the Phillippines.
"The government should stop please stop importing this kind of materials," he said.
"100 per cent they can save lives if they are going to stop."
Groups like Lung Foundation Australia, Public Health Association Australia and the Australian Institute of Health and Safety have also backed calls for a ban on high-silica products.
'They were sold a lie'
Ronnie is one of four clients of Philippine background in Western Australia represented by law firm Shine Lawyers who SBS News has been told each have been diagnosed with silicosis.
They all came to Australia on 457 visas but are now Australian citizens.
Kathyrn Townsend, the national practice leader of the law firm's Dust Diseases practice, said their cases are evidence of a failure by the Australian government to fulfil their duty of care to protect workers in the industry who came here trusting they would be working in safe conditions.
“It breaks my heart because these are people who came over in search of the Australian dream and they were sold a lie,” she said.
“They were sold good working conditions and good pay and instead they’ve been given terminal diseases."
[They] came over in search of the Australian dream and they were sold a lie.- Kathyrn Townsend, Lawyer
With the support of his lawyer, Ronnie has been able to secure a successful workers' compensation claim, with WorkCover WA helping provide him with financial stability.
But he has a message for others considering coming to Australia to work in the industry at present.
"Be aware and protect themselves about how to deal with this silica dust," he said.
"I don’t want it to happen to other young guys what happened to me."
Concern for Australian workers
Last week, Mr Burke said a "coordinated, national response is needed" to better protect workers at risk.
“The Albanese Labor government is deeply concerned about the spread of silicosis among Australian workers,” he said.
The union that represents stonemasons, the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CMFEU) has said it will stop its members from working on engineered stone products by mid-2024 if the government does not step in.
The federal government earlier this month committed $3.9 million to a prevention and awareness strategy, which will be led by the Lung Foundation Australia.
This decision was in response to a National Dust Disease Taskforce report from 2021 that recommended urgent action on the issue to develop an approach to the control and management of dust diseases, including silicosis.
Among its recommendations is pushing for a national licensing scheme to restrict the use of high-silica products to companies that demonstrate adequate protection measures.
Most states have also already banned dry cutting, which is considered to be the most dangerous form of handling high-silica products.
A code of practice for managing risks tied to the use of engineered stone has also been agreed to across jurisdictions.
. People experiencing symptoms are advised to consult a doctor.
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