Kitchen countertop workers at risk of a deadly lung disease have been issued with urgent safety guidance to stem a rise in cases.
The British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS), a leading scientific body and the UK’s chartered body for Workplace Health Protection, has published new advice for tradespeople working with engineered stone amid outbreaks of silicosis in the UK and globally. Metal Cut
Pointing to articles by i about the issue, the BOHS guidance explains to workers how to stay safe when cutting engineered stone – primarily quartz – after men in their thirties and forties cutting and polishing the material without adequate safety measures contracted a new aggressive strain of silicosis, an incurable long-term lung disease.
The popularity of quartz kitchen worktops has soared in recent years as households opt for what has become the most desirable material on the market.
Earlier this year, i revealed the first silicosis cases linked to engineered stone had been recorded in the UK, with around 10 workers understood to have been diagnosed – many of them believed to be migrants working in the black economy with no safety regulations.
Last week, doctors published the first details of a UK case of artificial stone silicosis in a 31-year-old stone-cutting machine operator.
In December, Australia became the first country in the world to ban engineered stone after a surge in cases among tradespeople inhaling toxic dust containing respirable crystalline silica (RCS), with health officials branding the outbreak an epidemic.
Almost one in four engineered stone workers employed in the country’s industry prior to 2018 have been diagnosed with silicosis or other silica-dust-related diseases, a government taskforce found.
A report by policy body Safe Work Australia found engineered stone workers’ silicosis was found to be associated with a shorter duration of exposure to silica, faster disease progression and higher mortality, compared with workers exposed to silica from other sources.
In California, an epicentre of the disease, 13 artificial countertop cutters – overwhelmingly Latino migrants – have died from silicosis.
Their average age was 46, with the number of known cases in the US state more than doubling to 127 in April, up from 52 last July.
California’s Occupational Safety & Health Standards Board found: “Relative to the typical experience with silicosis, these workers’ cases of silicosis have been particularly aggressive, characterised by rapid disease progression, accelerated decline in lung function, and high mortality, typically at a young age.”
Spain and Israel are among other countries to have recorded significant outbreaks.
And although the number of reported cases in the UK is smaller than elsewhere, experts believe the true figure could be higher.
Water suppression to avoid “dry cutting” as well as dust extraction are key safety measures experts say can help protect workers.
Other guidance also being promoted by BOHS includes the use of lower silica content material, separating the worker from the task and enhanced PPE such as respirator masks.
Parmjit Gahir, the BOHS’ president and a former Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Inspector, said: “We’ve heard anecdotal evidence from Australia of a worker whose lungs were so stiffened by dust inhalation, including silica dust, that an attempted lung transplant had to be abandoned.
“I imagine that the latest cluster of cases will lead to prosecutions happening across the UK as our regulator focuses on this bad outcome.”
BOHS CEO, Professor Kevin Bampton, has raised fears that people working in the unregulated economy may be unaware of safety controls, with cases in migrant workers suggesting a similar pattern to Australia and California may be emerging.
While the body isn’t calling for a ban, it hopes to raise awareness among workers in kitchen materials fabrication and installation that they run “a high risk of serious long-term health issues” when using engineered stone, as well as natural stone, wood and laminate.
“Engineered stone shines a light on the risks that are out there for the people who work to add value and aesthetics to our homes,” Prof Bampton said.
“This cluster of workers who are young when disabling illness hits are the tip of the iceberg.”
In a paper published by doctors last week, a UK patient aged 31 was found to have contracted silicosis after working for five years with material, primarily artificial stone, as a Computerised Numerical Control stone-cutting machine operator.
He contracted the disease despite the machine using water suppression, with stone dust visible in the air even though an extractor fan was in place.
Have you been affected by this issue? Contact Joe Duggan on joe.duggan@inews.co.uk
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