The nature of the engineered stone industry has also arguably contributed to non-compliance and hence the extent of cases of silicosis in the industry . It is comprised of mostly small businesses with few barriers to entry and a lower understanding of WHS obligations . Relevantly , these PCBUs had limited awareness of the risks of engineered stone , and their duties to manage those risks , including to assess the risks and implement the necessary control measures to keep their workers safe . Workers too were often unaware of those risks and duties , and their rights and responsibilities .
Some of the mechanisms in the model WHS laws that assist to better manage health and safety risks in workplaces were less likely to be present because of the nature of the engineered stone industry and the workforce . For example , there is unlikely to be a health and safety representative ( HSR ) or a health and safety committee at these workplaces . Where present , an HSR or a health and safety committee can monitor compliance with the WHS laws and raise concerns about risks to health and safety in the business .
The lack of available and accessible information about the risks of working with engineered stone is also problematic . Importers , manufacturers and suppliers have failed to provide end users with comprehensive up to date health-based data and evidence on the risks of RCS in relation to engineered stone .
What policy options are being considered ?
In the Silica Decision RIS , WHS ministers considered and agreed a number of policy options to address the high rates of silicosis in engineered stone workers . This Decision RIS considers only the possible prohibition on the use of engineered stone under the model WHS laws .
Option 1 : Option 2 : Option 3 :
Prohibition on the use of all engineered stone Prohibition on the use of engineered stone containing 40 % or more crystalline silica
As for option 2 , with an accompanying licensing scheme for PCBUs working with engineered stone containing less than 40 % crystalline silica .
All 3 options for a prohibition on the use of engineered stone under the model WHS laws allow for exemptions for certain work , including removal , repair and minor modifications of engineered stone already installed , provided the PCBU is licensed ( licensing framework for work with legacy products ).
What is the likely impact of the options ?
Costs
For each option in Table 1 , the greatest contributor to economic cost is the licensing framework for work with legacy products , accounting for between 96 % and 100 % of the total cost of each option .
This licensing framework for work with legacy products has a consistent cost , to PCBUs and government , across all options – $ 240.5 million over the appraisal period ( implementation period and first 10 years ).
By contrast , the other costs to PCBUs , government and workers ( not associated with the licensing framework ) are $ 10.6 million for Option 1 , no additional cost for Option 2 , and $ 9.3m for Option 3 . The additional cost for Option 3 compared to Option 2 reflects the costs of the licensing scheme for work with engineered stone containing less than 40 % crystalline silica .
DECISION REGULATION IMPACT STATEMENT Prohibition on the use of engineered stone Page 7 of 107