Engineered Stone Ban Must Continue

ACTU Submission to Safe Work Australia Public Consultation on the Engineered Stone Ban

Summary

The ACTU and unions actively campaigned and advocated for the introduction of the engineered stone ban as proposed in the June 2021 National Dust Diseases Taskforce Final Report. The evidence, scientific and at the workplace level, is that the processing of engineered stone is particularly hazardous for a large variety of reasons – volume of work, size of crystalline silica particles produced, presence of resins and pigments and difficulty in implementing risk control measures.

The ACTU and all unions welcomed the decision by WHS Ministers in March 2024 to prohibit the use of engineered stone. The ban, with some transition periods, came into effect in July 2024. The prohibition is a world first and therefore there are many stakeholders, domestic and international, monitoring its effectiveness and any hurdles that may be encountered. This review is required by WHS Ministers, but it must be noted this is less than 9 months old and the long-term benefits to workers health will take time to take effect – and of course, will be measured in a decline in the number of workers suffering debilitating and potential lethal disease.

The ACTU recommends submissions made by unions to this public consultation.

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