Australia Is First Nation to Ban Popular, but Deadly, Stone

Australia has become the first nation to ban the use of engineered stone following years of advocacy from doctors and unions who raised the alarm on its dangers to workers, reports the Guardian. A report from watchdog group Safe Work Australia this year found that stonemasons developed silicosis, a deadly and incurable lung disease, at disproportionate rates, and recommended banning the material. In the US, cases also are on the rise, particularly among young Latino workers in California. Engineered stone gained popularity in recent years as an option for kitchen and bathroom countertops because it's cheaper than granite and marble, while still maintaining a high-end appearance. But even with precautions taken, stonemasons breathe in dust as they cut it, and engineered stone has higher concentrations of silica than many types of natural stone, per the Los Angeles Times.

Liam O'Brien of the Australian Council of Trade Unions said this action shows the country learned from past inaction, when it dragged out banning asbestos. "Australia's got a pretty horrible legacy with asbestos, so I think we know very well what happens if you don't take action early," he said. He hopes the US is taking note as he works with the American Federation of Labor. Emergency protections were put in place stateside this year after a study released this summer linked engineered stone work to the death of stonemasons. "There are about 10,000 stonemasons in Australia and 100,000 in the US," O'Brien said, "so I suspect there is a sizeable proportion that are working with this product." Los Angeles County, for one, is considering a ban.

Ahead of the Australian ban—it goes into effect in July 2024, per Australia's ABC—several large retailers (including Ikea) have committed to phasing out the materials on their products. Meanwhile, the people most affected by the ban see this as a win, but also a first step. "The rest of the world can't just shut their eyes and pretend they didn't know that these kitchen bench tops were killing people," Kyle Goodwin, a stonemason who was diagnosed with the most severe form of silicosis in 2018, told the Guardian. "They need to act before it's too late." (Workers are fighting to ban smoking in casinos.)