New guidance on safe working with stone worktops has been published, emphasising the need to minimise exposure to dust, monitor air quality and conduct health screenings.
The British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS) has warned that a growing number of people, including younger workers, are contracting aggressive forms of silicosis – a disease caused by inhaling tiny particles of silica, a natural chemical in rock, created when stone and artificial stone is cut, ground or polished.
It claims that the disease, which can cause the lungs to harden, is increasingly affecting workers in their 30s and 40s who work in the kitchen fitting and fabrication industry, due to the presence of silica in quartz worktops.
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Australia recently banned engineered stone worktops because of the health risks they pose. BOHS is not advocating for a ban but has urged the Health and Safety Executive to improve its safety guidance.
“Silicosis is a disease we have known about for thousands of years and is easily prevented. However, many workplaces, especially SMEs don’t take very basic steps to stop massive exposure which causes irreversible lung disease,” said Parmjit Gahir, BOHS president and a former HSE inspector.
“We’ve heard anecdotal evidence from Australia of a worker whose lungs were so stiffened by dust inhalation, including silica dust, that an attempted lung transplant had to be abandoned. I imagine that the latest cluster of cases will lead to prosecutions happening across the UK as our regulator focuses on this bad outcome.”
BOHS’s Silica dust: risks when working with engineered stone guidance outlines the control measures employers should put in place when workers are cutting, grinding, drilling or polishing stone, including:
- using machinery fitted with water suppression tools or local exhaust ventilation to minimise airborne dust
- enclosing the process to isolate workers from dust
- using personal protective equipment and respiratory protective equipment
- training workers around the health hazards and safe working practices
- engaging an occupational hygienist to monitor air quality
- carrying out health surveillance to detect early signs of silicosis, COPD and dermatitis.
BOHS also warned that kitchen installers are also likely to encounter hidden asbestos.
CEO Professor Kevin Bampton said: “Engineered stone shines a light on the risks that are out there for the people who work to add value and aesthetics to our homes. This cluster of workers who are young when disabling illness hits are the tip of the iceberg.
“Natural stone can contain silica, although less than some engineered stone brands, but wood dust is a cancer-causing agent, as well as some substances in laminate.
“Every year thousands of workers in the industry will be affected by illness that means they need to leave work younger and they are not fit enough to enjoy life. We hope that by providing guidance on how to control the risks and to stay within the law, we can help businesses to manage their risks while keeping workers safe.”
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