Unions will ban engineered stone by the middle of next year if the government doesn’t act first.
Citing the risk of getting silicosis - an incurable, debilitating and potentially fatal disease - from cutting and grinding the stone, unions have resolved not to wait for the government to ban it.
Engineered stone is typically used to make kitchen and bathroom benches, with more than 600,000 workers exposed to it across sectors such as mining, building and construction, tunnelling and manufacturing.
The Australian Council of Trade Unions says it’s time to act, pointing to research forecasting 100,000 silicosis diagnoses and another 10,000 cancer verdicts this century if exposures aren’t reduced.
ACTU assistant secretary Liam O’Brien said companies manufacturing the product knew the damage it was doing but chose not to take action to protect workers.
“Safe working conditions enjoyed by workers today were not given to us by governments or employers, they were fought for and won by workers and their unions … the ACTU executive sends a clear message that governments should ban this harmful fashion product,” he said.
“We welcome the decision earlier this year of (workplace health and safety ministers) to introduce stronger silica rules covering all work but we must do more to ban deadly fashion products.”
Shine Lawyers dust diseases litigation expert Kathryn Townsend said the unions’ stance was admirable, but they should not be forced to take matters into their own hands.
"The federal government has all the evidence it needs to justify a ban on engineered stone … we know exposure to toxic silica dust causes silicosis and debilitating autoimmune diseases,” she said in a statement.
"If the federal government continues to do nothing, more workers will get sick and their lives will be pointlessly cut short."
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles wouldn’t be drawn on the government’s position, but said talks would continue with unions to “plot the best way forward”.
“We absolutely are aware of the significant health impacts associated with working with engineered stone … we are very mindful of this,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
“This is a significant issue for worker health ... and it's really important that we get this right going forward.”
The ACTU ban will mean union members will not let engineered stone be taken to or used on Australian building sites.
