In a world-first, Australia implemented a ban on the manufacture, supply, processing, and installation of engineered stone benchtops, panels, and slabs from July 1, 2024.
The ban was put in place due to:
• Engineered stone workers are disproportionately represented in silicosis cases.
• These workers are being diagnosed with silicosis at a younger age than workers in other industries.
• The dust generated when processing engineered stone has different physical and chemical properties that likely contribute to more rapid and severe disease.
• There is no evidence of a safe threshold of crystalline silica content in engineered stone.
Engineered stone benchtops, in use for decades in Australian kitchens, were primarily composed of crushed quartz and other materials bound by resins, with a high percentage of crystalline silica (typically >90%). The ban now in place is for benchtops containing more than 1% silica.
Silica dust is a work health and safety hazard produced when materials containing silica, such as stone, bricks, concrete, or tiles, are cut, drilled, polished, or ground. These tiny particles are so small that workers may not even realise they are inhaling them, but they can lodge deep in the lungs, causing permanent damage and leading to severe and fatal diseases like silicosis and lung cancer.
In Australia, safe alternatives to crystalline silica-containing engineered stone benchtops include timber, stainless steel, solid surface materials, laminate, porcelain, natural stone (with lower silica content), and silica-free engineered stone options.
If you don’t know if the product you are working with is a crystalline silica substance (CSS), you should refer to the relevant label or safety data sheet (SDS). If there is no SDS available, check with the supplier or manufacturer where possible.
For more detailed information on the ban, refer to SafeWork Australia guidance:
https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/esban
For more information on the safe management of silica, contact RiskTech: (02) 8745 2000.