World First - Engineered Stone Ban in Australia

• Engineered stone products are introduced into Australia. Compared to marble and granite, engineered stone is cheaper, stain resistant and produced in a range of colours. It quickly becomes a popular choice for contemporary new builds and renovations for kitchen, bathroom and laundry benchtops. 

• Engineered stone accounts for 32% of all new benchtops in Australia.

• According to a small study, dry cutting of engineered stones generates silica dusts at levels 150 times above the recommended exposure limit for a 30-minute period. This alerted Roger Singh, who was one the first to notice the connection between silicosis and autoimmune diseases being diagnosed in young stonemason working with engineered stone.

• Workers impacted by engineered stone exposure engaged Roger to represent them.

• Engineered stone accounts for 45% of all new benchtops in Australia. 

• Shine Lawyers commenced Australia's first engineered stone injury court action, representing a client diagnosed with silicosis and silica-related auto-immune disease. 

• Roger Singh wrote to every state and territory workplace relations minister to alert them of the impending surge in workers with silica induced injuries. Roger launched his journey to advocate for change due to severe lung damage suffered by stonemasons, in the form of silicosis and progressive massive fibrosis and / or crippling autoimmune disease. 

• Shine Lawyers presented the detailed submission A Need for Laws Protecting Stone Masons Against Engineered Stone – Silica Dust to all state, territory and federal governments.

• The submission urged robust regulation of the stonemason industry with a licensing scheme, in the absence of government support for a ban. The licensing scheme aimed to restrict the supply and handling of high silica content engineered stone to businesses that adhered to stringent workplace safety practices.

• The Queensland government banned dry cutting of engineered stone, to try and curb the silicosis crisis, influencing other states to follow their lead. 

• Employers were required to protect their workers from silica dust exposure through measures such as water suppression systems, correct ventilation and exhaust systems and providing protective clothing. 

• Roger Singh travelled around Australia, meeting with state and territory ministers to again flag an impending dust diseases crisis and an immediate need for robust regulation.

Roger Singh’s client Anthony White was the first stonemason to die from silicosis in Australia at the young age of 36.

• Roger Singh’s oral and written submissions to National Dust Diseases Task Force (NDDT) flagged the desirability of a ban on engineered stone while reinforcing the need for a national licensing scheme in the absence or pending a product ban.

Queensland government announces that from 1 September, the state’s 15,000 mine and quarry workers will have free lung health checks for life.

The NDDT final report recommends a licensing scheme for engineered stone. 

• WorkSafe Victoria announced Australia’s first licensing scheme to protect engineered stone workers. 

• All of government’s response to the Final Report of the NDDT confirmed continuing work with state and territory governments and stakeholders to address the increase in silicosis cases among engineered stone workers. 

• The response confirmed support for the highest level of protection for workers but fell short of support for a ban of engineered stone. 

• Shine Lawyers presented a submission to Safe Work Australia’s Compensation Regulation Impact Statement, further advocating for a total ban on engineered stone by 2024.

• Roger and his client Frank Scott met with the Hon Tony Burke MP, federal Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. They shared Frank’s story and lobbied to eliminate silica exposure associated with engineered stone. 

  • As a teenager Frank worked as an apprentice stonemason between 1986 and 1989, on the construction of New Parliament House (NPH) in Canberra, installing granite and sandstone products.

  • In later years Frank worked with engineered stone  

  • Frank’s rare autoimmune disease (scleroderma, overlapped with connective tissue disorder and cystic lung disease) required double lung transplant surgery

  • Frank's lung disease was associated with his occupational exposure to silica dust

• Safe Work Australia publishes Decision Regulation Impact Statement: Prohibition on the use of engineered stone.

• The Decision RIS recommends a ban on the use of all engineered stone, regardless of crystalline silica content, to protect worker health and safety.