TRANSCRIPT
"Silicosis caused by the engineered stone is a death sentence. There's no treatment, there's no cure. There's no hope for blokes like myself diagnosed with this terrible disease. So you know, it breaks your spirit, it breaks your family's spirit, and it's heartbreaking for everyone around you, knowing that there's nothing you can do. Complete helplessness."
That's Kyle Goodwin, a 37-year-old former stonemason who was diagnosed with silicosis in 2018 and given just 5 to 8 years to live.
Kyle discovered that a material he had worked with frequently - engineered stone - released silica dust when it was cut which could be potentially fatal once inhaled into the lungs.
Since his diagnosis, Kyle has campaigned with the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union to ban the use of the material which has been called the "asbestos of the 2020s".
This has finally resulted in Commonwealth, state, and territory workplace ministers unanimously agreeing to a nationwide ban on the import or use of engineered stone from July 1 next year.
The CFMEU's National Secretary Zach Smith celebrated the win saying it will clearly save lives.
"Yesterday's decision by the WHS ministers is monumental. This is a massive win for our union and our members who have fought for a ban on engineered stone. But more importantly, it's a massive win for the thousands of workers who have been exposed to silica dust from engineered stone and the thousands more who won't be exposed moving forward as a result of this ban. This ban will save lives. We know that workers who are using engineered stone are contracting silicosis at an alarming rate: nearly one in four workers."
But why is the ban significant and what exactly is engineered stone?
Firstly, engineered stone is a material made by mixing crushed stone with a tool called a resin binder.
The stone became popular in the 2000s as a durable and more affordable alternative to natural stones like marble and granite for use as bench-tops.
And with more and more Australians seeking to renovate their properties, the use of the material has increased with Safe Work Australia estimating there to be 2 to 3 million Australian homes with engineered stone bench tops.
However, after a worker contracted a fatal and incurable illness known as silicosis back in 2015, it was discovered in further investigations that when the stone is cut or worked on it can be deadly.
The Public Health Association of Australia's CEO, Adjunct Professor Terry Slevin, explains where the danger of the material stems from.
"It's an artificial stone product which has extremely high levels of silica over 95 per cent In some cases. When cut it creates an extraordinarily fine dust, which when breathed into the lungs, damages their lungs enormously and contributes to disease like silicosis and in some cases lung cancer. And these are diseases that are not curable, they largely end people's working lives, and in some cases they kill them."
The Cancer Council says approximately 350 Australians contract silicosis each year, with a further 230 people annually estimated to be diagnosed with lung cancer caused by exposure to silica dust in the workplace.
Kyle Goodwin, the former stonemason who is experiencing a likely fatal case of silicosis says the disease has been devastating.
"This disease has impacted my life hugely, it has caused me to make the decision to not have children. Because I personally don't want them to grow up without a father, I lost my father when I was young. I can't do a lot of the physical activities that I used to do a lot of. Going for runs, I run 100 metres now and I'm out of breath. So it definitely puts restrictions on your day to day life."
Professor Slevin says he expects the ban on engineered stone to save the lives of thousands of workers.
He also clarified that - for those who have an engineered kitchen or bathroom bench top - they need not fear for their safety but should take care when renovating in the future.
"There isn't a risk for people who have these products in their house. On a bench top in a kitchen, in a bathroom, they're inert and entirely harmless. And so there shouldn't be any panic for people who have these stone products in their house. The only consideration becomes if renovations or modifications occur. And that's where people do need to be careful, a little bit like asbestos, when left alone, it's harmless, but when it's disturbed when it's cut, that's when you've got the problems, because that releases the fibres."
While many are celebrating the ban of engineered stone as a victory, some industry groups have expressed concern about how this impacts businesses which are dependent on the material.
Michaela Lihou is the C-E-O of Master Builders Victoria which represents building groups across the southeastern state.
She says her organisation acknowledges the need to address preventable silica-related diseases but the government needs to ensure businesses are supported and consumers are aware of alternatives.
"While we support the ruling, the full details about the impacts, and the implications of the changes are yet to be determined. It's crucial that any changes come with clear, simple and practical rules so that businesses know what to comply with and when. Engineered stone has been widely popular in home builds, and informing consumers about suitable alternatives is critical. The goal is to ensure that consumers are well informed and equipped with the knowledge to make sound decisions for their projects, and be aware of choices available to them in the absence of engineered stone."
Industry leaders have put forward a number of alternative materials such as porcelain, laminate, tiles, concrete, timber and the more costly natural stones.
Safe Work Australia says while a complete ban of engineered stone would be expensive for some, it is necessary to protect people involved in construction from deadly lung diseases.
Kyle Goodwin says he does understand the concern of businesses but he believes worker safety must come first.
"I definitely understand where people can be concerned about the impact it will have on on work and things like this, but I've never wanted, you know, as a former worker, myself, I've never wanted anyone to be out of a job. But we want to be keeping young workers safe in this country. We're talking about bench tops. There's plenty of alternatives out there."
And for many, the fight against silica-related diseases hasn't ended.
The Australian Workers' Union says the ban helps the nation's 4000 stonemasons but does little to protect the estimated 600,000 workers exposed to silica dust across other industries including tunneling, concreting, tiling and road works.
Zach Smith from the CFMEU acknowledges that the ban is significant but there is still more work to be done.
"Silicosis can occur through a variety of other other ways. We have seen union campaigns in relation to tunneling, especially around Sydney. Workers that have worked in those tunnels contracted silicosis through the tunnelling of sandstone. A lot of household and common construction products contain silicosis like concrete, masonry and tile products. And we want to see better regulation and better enforcement of occupational health and safety standards in respect to all those practices."
