From 1 July, Australia banned the use, supply and manufacture of all engineered stone. And the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) has asked the New Zealand Government to issue a ban here, too, or at least implement rigorous controls on importers and fabricators, as silica dust generated from working with engineered stone, used in kitchen benchtops, has been found to cause fatal diseases.
The RACP has also asked for an official registry of people with workplace silica dust exposure to allow long-term follow-up and support. It says that, if this country has a similar rate of stoneworkers developing silicosis and related diseases as Australia, about 250 Kiwi workers could have already developed dust-related diseases.
Other organisations to publicly call for a ban include the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation and the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand.
The ban would apply to engineered stone, which can contain around 97% or more crystalline silica. The crystalline silica content in natural stones is much lower – up to 45% for granite and 2–5% for marble.
Some engineered stone suppliers are now making available lower-silica options with 40% or below crystalline silica content.
