There has been a recent rise in the rates of silicosis among Australian construction workers.
Silicosis is a potentially deadly lung disease associated with breathing in silica fibres. This can occur when cutting, polishing or grinding artificial stone, which is a popular stone used for kitchen benchtops.
As a result, the National Dust Disease Taskforce is considering banning the manufacturing of artificial stone benchtops, to better protect construction workers.
Architects, designers and specifiers should be aware of these risks when considering specifying engineered stone benchtops on a project, and stay up to date with the latest product bans.
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