Queensland has issued a safety alert after WorkCover received 22 silicosis claims in the past three weeks from the stone benchtop manufacturing industry.
Queensland industrial relations minister Grace Grace said on Tuesday six of the 22 workers compensation claims lodged to WorkCover were confirmed to have Progressive Massive Fibrosis, meaning the end-stages of silicosis.
Grace said the industry needed to stop the dry cutting of stone at once.
“Any employer engaging in dry cutting of this product must stop immediately,” she said. “Due to the high levels of silica in engineered stone which can be breathed in as dust when cut dry, it is absolutely paramount that this warning is taken seriously.”
Grace said advice given to here by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland pointed to the sudden spike in the number of confirmed cases of silicosis for workers in this industry.
She said a recent compliance campaign auditing 10 engineered stone benchtop manufacturers found “disturbing and unsafe work practices” incluing dry cutting of stone, poor ventilation of work areas and a lack of personal protection equipment.
The minister said all workers currently or previously involved in the industry should undergo urgent health screening.
“WorkCover Queensland will fund the immediate health screening for workers, or former workers, who have been exposed to silica from engineered stone over an extended period of time,” she said.
“WHSQ will also immediately progress to the next stage of its state-wide compliance campaign, with 22 specially-trained inspectors on the ground from this week, auditing all remaining engineered stone benchtop makers across the state. By the end of the year all 160 employers in Queensland will have been audited.”