Commonwealth, State and Territory Work Health and Safety (WHS) Ministers, have agreed to a number of key implementation matters associated with a prohibition on the use of engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs and to endorse a stronger regulatory framework to manage the risk of exposure to respirable crystalline silica from other materials and products.
The use, supply and manufacture of engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs will be prohibited from 1 July 2024.
As agreed by WHS Ministers, there will be a transitional period for contracts for the installation of engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs entered on or before 31 December 2023, if the installation is completed by 31 December 2024. Activities undertaken during this period must be appropriately controlled and will be subject to stronger WHS regulations for high-risk crystalline processes.
Some exceptions will be made for the removal, repair, minor modification, and disposal of engineered stone products installed prior to the prohibition (legacy products), as well as appropriate exceptions for engineered stone products with trace levels of crystalline silica (under 1%).
What is engineered stone?
Engineered stone is defined as an artificial product that
- contains crystalline silica
- is created by combining natural stone materials with other chemical constituents such as water, resins, or pigments
- undergoes a process to become hardened.
The ban does not apply to other silica related materials such as:
- concrete and cement products
- bricks pavers and other similar blocks
- porcelain products*
- ceramic wall and floor tiles
- roof tiles
- grout, mortar and render
- plasterboard
- engineered stone products with trace levels of crystalline silica (less than 1% by weight)
- sintered stone*.
*Note for the avoidance of doubt, porcelain products and sintered stone are excluded from the prohibition if the product does not contain resin.
Why is the ban necessary?
- Rates of silicosis and silica-related diseases in Australian workers have risen substantially in recent years, with a disproportionate number of diagnoses in engineered stone workers.
- When engineered stone is processed, the dust generated has different physical and chemical properties that likely contribute to more rapid and severe disease.
- There is no scientific evidence for a safe threshold of crystalline silica content in engineered stone, or that lower silica content engineered stone is safer to work with.
Reminder that in the lead up to the ban, for tasks where engineered stone is used:
- employers continue to have a legal duty to protect workers by managing the health and safety risks from silica dust
- workers also continue to have a legal duty to take reasonable care of their own, and others, health and safety at work.
For further information, visit our silica in engineered stone workplaces page.
If you have engineered stone products already installed
Engineered stone products do not pose a safety risk after installation in your home or workplace as long as they remain undisturbed. Health and safety risks may arise if silica dust is generated during any modification, repair or removal work.
Arrangements for working with legacy products, such as removal, modification, repair work, and disposal, will be managed by jurisdictions based on a national framework developed by Safe Work Australia, due to be provided to Ministers by the end of April 2024.
Further information on the ban on engineered stone is available:
- Safe Work Australia website
- Visit the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations for a copy of the WHS Ministers' Communiques.
Last updated: 28 March 2024
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