For many decades, silicosis has been acknowledged worldwide as a serious lung disease caused by occupational exposure to silica dust. In the past 24 months, an alarming number of cases – in our stone masonry industry specifically – and the associated media coverage of these devastating stories, has highlighted the issue here in Australia and driven many overdue calls for change.
In this Member-only technical bulletin, we’re outlining the definition of the disease and its causes, and identifying risks and solutions associated with silica-based stone products – particularly those routinely specified for benchtops.
