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Engineered stone will be banned in Australia in world-first decision (www.abc.net.au)

submitted 8 months ago by WaterWaiver@aussie.zone to c/news@aussie.zone

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[-] Evil_Shrubbery@lemm.ee 27 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

... someone correct me if I'm wrong, but this just sounds like some random local corruption story, right?

Like, instead of passing & enforcing worker safety laws they just ban the (safe) product? The same type of diseases can workers get from eg processing cotton, flower, cement, and any fine-dusty thing really. And such things can be managed with safety precautions & exhaust filters (to not affect the broader local area over the years of dust buildup).

The logical exceptions are things like asbestos where even the end product crumbles into dangerous particulates (that are even more irritating/cause serious problems at much lower quantities).

Then again it really saddens me that we don't invest more into like cellulose based materials (buildings, cutlery, bags, windows, cars, medical equipment, ... limitless potential, can be made sustainable, & has the prospect of doing something good in the long run).

Also with the same logic Australia could ban other things as well, like cocoa/chocolate imports, much of the fashion industry (dyes), and above all else - fossil fuels.

As for the replacement materials for countertops - bamboo (pressed & oiled?) is great!

[-] Benj1B@sh.itjust.works 46 points 8 months ago

It's a national news story thats come to light due to a large number of otherwise healthy, fairly young workers getting sick and dying from silicosis. The suggestion to ban came directly from the occupational safety watchdog, who are tasked with keeping workers safe. https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/safety-topic/hazards/crystalline-silica-and-silicosis is pretty comprehensive.

In February they released a report (https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-02/decision_ris_-_managing_the_risks_of_crystalline_silica_at_work_-_for_publication_pdf.pdf) outlining exactly what you refer to, with 6 options for governments to consider. The ban on engineered stone is the most dramatic, and uses basically the same legal framework that was used to ban asbestos in the first place.

Essentially they have been screaming at stonemasons and employees for 5 years to no avail, compliance with health and safety regulations in this area is atrocious, and no matter what laws you pass, more and more people are going to get sick and die from a preventable disease if you leave the stuff on the market.

It's only in recent years that the real dangers of silicate dust have been understood and it's being banned for essentially the same reason asbestos was - it's too hard to manage safely, and the most exposed people (workers) have to be protected. Asbestos is dangerous because it can get embedded in lung cells and not be exhaled - silicate dust is similar. Makes sense to me to put it in the same category especially if some poor bastards are dying from it.