Engineered stone banned in Australia

[Richard_C]

Just for interest really, shows how problems creep up on you.


https://www.theguardian.com/austral...will-others-follow?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other
Never thought about this until I read about it this morning. Not sure how much gets used in the UK.

 

[Lons]

I fitted quite a lot when I was working and the dust when sawing and routing is pretty horrible. I still use up small offcuts occasionally for various purposes. I wear breathing and eye protection but also never thought about the material content.

 

[niall Y]

I'm not quite sure that I fully understand what is being reported here. If fine silica particles, cause silicosis, then surely working any stone containing silica will cause the same problem. I don't see what bearing the artificial nature of the stone has on the rise in illness. I would have thought it more likely that modern methods of working stone - dry rather than wet -, with routers and angle grinders might have more to do with this rise.

Artificial stone, of one form or another, has been used, , since at least the Georgian period yet we are only, now, seeing a rise in related illnesses. No doubt, the article quoted is being a bit reticent about naming the type of stone worktop that has been implicated and is using the generic label - engineered stone, possibly to avoid litigation from the biggest player in the market.

So, if it is indeed the modern type of artificial stone - the one using resin rather than cement - that is causing this rise in lung disease then would these diseases not be more like the cancers associated with something like MDF , rather than silicosis, proper?

 

[Lons]

I'm not quite sure that I fully understand what is being reported here. If fine silica particles, cause silicosis, then surely working any stone containing silica will cause the same problem. I don't see what bearing the artificial nature of the stone has on the rise in illness. I would have thought it more likely that modern methods of working stone - dry rather than wet -, with routers and angle grinders might have more to do with this rise.

Artificial stone, of one form or another, has been used, , since at least the Georgian period yet we are only, now, seeing a rise in related illnesses. No doubt, the article quoted is being a bit reticent about naming the type of stone worktop that has been implicated and is using the generic label - engineered stone, possibly to avoid litigation from the biggest player in the market.

So, if it is indeed the modern type of artificial stone - the one using resin rather than cement - that is causing this rise in lung disease then would these diseases not be more like the cancers associated with something like MDF , rather than silicosis, proper?

If it's correct then I think you've hit the nail on the head, they didn't have high speed routers and circular saws in Georgian tiimes. If you haven't worked materials such as Corian, Mistral and all the other brands you would be astonished at the volume of extremely fine dust generated by a router, it's like a cloud of four if not carefully extracted and if you take off your PPE and slap your clothes you get another cloud

Having previously owned a small building company I also cocur with your observation regarding grinders/stilsaws and stone though that isn't quite so fine.

 

[Keith 66]

Interesting, But does not surprise me. Lots of stone contains silica & it was a common cause of illness & death in the mining & stone working industry, COPD & other respiratory illnesses,Slate miners & cutters got it, Knife grinders got it, Many other trades too.
The common thread is they didnt wear PPE. Many guys still dont to this day. How often do you drive past a building site or block paving gang & see a bloke driving a paddys motorbike, clouds of dust & no mask, Answer if pretty often!
I worked in the boat trade doing a lot of GRP work that involved grinding the stuff. As GRP reinforcement is Glass ie silica you get a lot of itchy dust. I was one of a very few guys who used to wear a mask all the time.
One day one of the three Trimmers whose job was to trim GRP mouldings all day showed me the brand new Racal Airstream powered respirator he had just been issued with. Not long after i bought one myself.
I was the only boatbuilder in any of the local yards who had one. Most just didnt bother In fact there was & still is in some trades a kind of machismo attitude that thinks anyone who wears one is a cissy or soft!
Three guys i worked with died of copd & silicosis.

 

[Jarno]

Must say the ban got me thinking also, as an engineer, I see the harmful dust release as a problem which needs solving, that's all. Engineered stone in itself is not inherently harmful, the same way cigarettes or alcohol are, nor is it likely to degrade or end up in the environment in volume like asbestos is.
It is a matter of prescribing, end-to-end what measures need to be taken to make sure nobody is harmed.
It is a problem which can be solved, IMHO. And companies that don't play ball need to be put out of business.