VIC government intensifying initiatives to protect workers from engineered stone risks

The Victorian government says that stonemasons and the construction industry are adjusting to the prohibition on engineered stone, providing advice and support to over 1,100 operators within these sectors.

The ban on the processing, manufacturing, and distribution of engineered stone is now fully implemented throughout Australia, coinciding with the federal prohibition on the importation of this product, which also took effect on 1 January.

Statistics show since the beginning of 2018, over 700 workers in Victoria have been affected by silica-related illnesses, including 20 fatalities, primarily associated with the processing and production of engineered stone.

Deputy Premier and Minister for WorkSafe and TAC Ben Carroll said that far too many workers in Victoria have either succumbed to fatal incidents or are suffering from the serious effects of silicosis linked to their work with engineered stone.

“No one should die for a kitchen benchtop – that’s why the Allan Labor Government led the nation and swiftly implemented the ban on processing, manufacture and supply of engineered stone,” the minister said.

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