Surprise WorkSafe Victoria inspections to dozens of stone suppliers and manufacturers have resulted in the detection of hundreds of illegal benchtops since the ban of engineered stone took effect in Victoria on 1 July.
WorkSafe's dedicated Silica Field Team visited 52 industry sites in the past month – issuing 25 compliance notices and seizing more than 65 samples of suspected engineered stone, as well as products branded as porcelain and sintered stone, to test for silica and resin content.
Through this work the team has applied non-disturbance notices to nearly 1000 banned engineered stone benchtops to prevent their supply to Victorian businesses and consumers. The VTHC warns consumers to beware of any offers for benchtops which seem too good to be true – they probably are. Since the July 1 ban. there can be no new benchtops installed in homes in Victoria.
The ban was introduced following a concerted union and medical practitioner campaign, and in response to rapidly increasing rates of silicosis and silica-related diseases in Australian workers. This included many workers exposed to crystalline silica dust while processing engineered stone products such as benchtops, panels or slabs.
Silicosis is a debilitating and potentially fatal disease that has impacted more than 680 Victorian workers since 2018, including 20 who have sadly lost their lives.
WorkSafe will not hesitate to take strong compliance and enforcement action, which could include possible prosecution and potentially significant fines, against duty holders flouting the ban. Anyone with concerns about health and safety in a workplace, including risks associated with engineered stone, should contact their union in the first instance, as well as WorkSafe's advisory service on 1800 136 089.
Read more: WorkSafe News. WorkSafe’s Silica page Hazard sheet on Silica