Executive summary
Executive summary
Statement of the problem
Australian workers are developing silicosis as a result of working with engineered stone .
The first Australian case of silicosis associated with engineered stone was reported in 2015 ( Frankel , Blake and Yates 2015 ). Silicosis case numbers in engineered stone workers have risen substantially since this time . While silicosis cases have been found in workers across a range of industries and silicacontaining materials , a disproportionate number of silicosis diagnoses are in engineered stone workers . In these workers ( compared to workers exposed to silica from natural sources ), silicosis is associated with a shorter duration of exposure to silica , faster disease progression and higher mortality ( Hoy , et al . 2023 ).
One of the key reasons for this is the nature of engineered stone and the RCS it produces : �
Engineered stone often has significantly higher crystalline silica content , resulting in the generation of more dust containing RCS when processed , compared to natural stone .
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Engineered stone can be processed more easily than natural stone , meaning more stone can be processed in one shift ( leading to higher exposure to dust ), and a less skilled workforce can be used .
RCS produced from engineered stone has different physical properties from that produced from natural stone , including a greater proportion of very small ( nanoscale ) particles of RCS which can penetrate deeper into the lungs .
� In addition to RCS , other components of engineered stone , such as resins , metals , amorphous silica , and pigments , may contribute to the toxic effects of engineered stone dust , either alone or by exacerbating the effects of RCS .
The exposure of workers and others to RCS is regulated by the model WHS laws as a risk to health and safety arising from work . Since 2011 , there have been robust and consistent laws in place requiring persons conducting a business or undertaking ( PCBUs ), including designers , importers and manufacturers , to eliminate or minimise the risks to workers and others from RCS so far as is reasonably practicable , including that generated from engineered stone . Under those laws , workers are also required to take reasonable care for their own health and safety and ensure that their acts or omissions do not adversely affect the health and safety of others .
In response to the diagnoses of silicosis in engineered stone workers , the model WHS laws have been amended to remove any doubt in relation to the applicable control measures when working with engineered stone , for example , the prevention of dry cutting . The workplace exposure level for RCS has also been reduced from 0.1 mg / m 3 to 0.05 mg / m 3 ( 8-hour time weighted average ), with Members recently agreeing to recommend a further reduction to WHS ministers ( to 0.025 mg / m 3 ). Safe Work Australia and Commonwealth , state and territory governments have also undertaken increased compliance activities , education and awareness campaigns and health screening programs to prevent further unlawful exposure to RCS .
However , it is tolerably clear that historically there has been insufficient compliance activities in respect of the engineered stone industry for the level of risk . Further , there has been , and continues to be , non-compliance with the obligations imposed by the model WHS laws , by both PCBUs and workers .
DECISION REGULATION IMPACT STATEMENT Prohibition on the use of engineered stone Page 6 of 107