ENGINEERED stone products will be banned across the country to protect workers from developing deadly health conditions.<\/p>\n
The ban will come into effect from 1 July next year, following an agreement by Federal, state and territory workplace ministers at a meeting on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Engineered stone, which is commonly used in kitchen benchtops, has been dubbed a modern-day asbestos, with workers who used the product often developing the incurable and deadly lung disease silicosis.<\/p>\n
As part of the national measure, the Federal Government has indicated it will introduce a ban on engineered stone being imported to Australia.<\/p>\n
A statement from the meeting said a transition period would need to be put in place for contracts involving engineered stone that were entered into before the ban was announced.<\/p>\n
The timeline for the transition period will be agreed on when the ministers meet again in March.<\/p>\n
Exceptions will be put in place for the removal or repair of engineered stone that has already been installed.<\/p>\n
CFMEU national secretary Zach Smith said the national ban was significant.<\/p>\n
“It is an important win for the thousands of workers that have been forced to use this product, which has caused them to contract life-ending silicosis,” he said.<\/p>\n
“This decision that’s been made by the various levels of government today will save lives.<\/p>\n
“We know that as many as one in four workers that are using engineered stone are contracting silicosis.”<\/p>\n
The CFMEU had previously said it would implement its own ban from July next year if the government did not act.<\/p>\n
Mr Smith said measures were still needed to protect workers from previously installed engineered stone products.<\/p>\n
“Our union is advocating for a system similar to the way we handle legacy issues of asbestos,” he said.<\/p>\n
“There’s a lot of this product in Australian homes, in Australian apartments and commercial spaces, and it’s important that people are properly trained and qualified to handle this product into the future.”<\/p>\n
Workplace ministers also noted businesses and consumers should be mindful of entering into new contracts involving engineered stone from 1 January to avoid work that might not be able to take place.<\/p>\n
The national ban was endorsed following a Safe Work Australia report, commissioned by workplace ministers, calling for a countrywide prohibition.<\/p>\n
While such a ban was deemed in the report to be the most expensive option, it said it would protect workers from developing health conditions.<\/p>\n
Safe Work Australia chief executive Marie Boland said the organisation would act immediately to introduce safety measures ahead of the ban’s implementation.<\/p>\n
“Workplace exposure to respirable crystalline silica has led to an unacceptable increase in the number of cases of silicosis and other silica-related diseases,” she said.<\/p>\n
“This prohibition will make Australian workplaces safer and healthier.”<\/p>\n
Hardware chains Bunnings and Mitre 10 said they would phase out selling the product.<\/p>\n
Public Health Association of Australia chief executive Terry Slevin said more work was needed to support those affected by silicosis.<\/p>\n
“This is an important day to be celebrated but it is also a call to action to work harder to reduce the known burden of those who, in their daily work, are exposed to silica,” he said.<\/p>\n
“Engineered stone is the most obvious and clear example of a dangerous product.”<\/p>\n