Engineered-stone Safeguard Mechanism

In February 2023 The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and 60 Minutes reported that workers had died of silicosis contracted from inhaling deadly silica dust while cutting the engineered stone widely used for kitchen benchtops in Australia. In response, trade unions warned that engineered stone – which typically has a silica content of 90 per cent or higher – risked becoming ‘the asbestos of our generation’. The government requested that Safe Work Australia provide advice on a ban of these products.