Australia to ban engineered stone next year

Australia will become the first country in the world to ban engineered stone products to protect workers from respirable crystalline silica.

The ban will take effect on 1 July 2024 after workplace safety ministers met on Wednesday and agreed to support a national ban.

A report published by federal safety agency Safe Work Australia in October recommended a total ban on the use of all engineered stone in Australia.

Exposure to silica dust from engineered stone can lead to silicosis- a fatal lung disease.

Hundreds of workers have been diagnosed with silicosis in Australia since the first case was reported in 2015.

For more information, visit the ABC News website.