From today, all engineered stone products will be banned across Australia as agreed by a meeting of national Work Health and Safety Ministers in December 2023.
Ahead of that meeting, NSW declared it was prepared to act unilaterally, if a national agreement could not be reached.
In addition to the ban, there will be stronger regulation of all other materials containing crystalline silica.
SafeWork recently completed a six-month Silica in Construction workplace visit program. During the state-wide visit program construction team inspectors conducted 176 visits to relevant businesses and issued 142 notices.
Last year, NSW passed laws to double penalties on employers that exposed their workers to silica dust.
The government is also establishing a Silica Worker Register to track at-risk workers.
Acting Minister for Work Health and Safety Tara Moriarty said that the ban would “save lives.”
“Silicosis is preventable,” Ms Moriaty said.
“Tradespeople who work with these products should not be risking their lives to earn a living.”
“It is a fundamental right of every worker to go to work and come home safely to their loved ones at the end of the day.”
Silicosis, caused by breathing in small particles of silica dust, has devasting effects on the lungs and has become more prevalent in the engineered stone industry.
When engineered stone is processed, the dust generated has different physical and chemical properties that likely contribute to more rapid and severe disease.
