Leading Respiratory Health Organisation Calls For Ban Of All Engineered Stone Products

The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ is calling for a
ban on engineered stone to better protect respiratory health
for all workers throughout the country.

This echoes
calls from Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP)
and the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand
(TSANZ).

In New Zealand, between 750 and 900 people
die from work-related diseases each year. These are in
addition to the 5000-6000 hospital admissions each year due
to work-related ill-health.

Over the past few years,
there has been increasing concern about the use of
silica-containing artificial stone – which is used to make
bench tops for kitchens and bathrooms.

When silica
dust is inhaled, it can cause permanent damage to the lungs
and silicosis (a respiratory illness) can
develop.

Silicosis causes scarring of the lung tissue
which makes it hard to breathe. It can severely reduce
quality of life, and – in extreme cases – it can be
fatal.

There is no cure for silicosis.

There are
multiple alternatives and, as trusted and independent
leaders in the respiratory health sector, we do not want to
see workers’ lung health deemed of lower importance than
consumers’ aesthetic preferences.

It can take up to
10 years after exposure for symptoms of silicosis to appear,
meaning that people who work with silica-containing
substances usually don’t realise that damage is being done
to their lungs while they are working with it.

Banning
engineered stone will not eliminate silicosis but it will
protect those involved in very high-risk work from further
exposure.

In December 2023, the Australian Government
announced a ban on the material. We are calling for New
Zealand to ban engineered stone to protect the respiratory
health for
workers.

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