Man-made stone will be stopped at the border after tragic worker deaths

The Albanese government is placing an import ban on engineered stone after workers as young as 30 died from silicosis. 

In July this year, the federal government instituted a domestic ban on the use, supply and production of engineered stone in Australia. 

Now, the ban is going a step further with an importation ban on all engineered stone products set to take effect from 1 January, 2025. 

“From the start of next year, it won’t only be illegal to install these products. It will be illegal to bring them into the country at all,” Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke said. 

Artificial stone has come under fire in recent years for the safety risks it poses to workers, and has been likened to asbestos. 

Engineered stone gained popularity in the 2000s as a cheaper alternative to natural stone, especially for kitchen benchtops. 

The material is made of up to 95 per cent crystalline silica dust. When cut or ground, the stone releases dust particles into the air that are then inhaled by tradies. 

According to Department of Health data, one in four tradies working with engineered stone have developed silicosis. Workers who are diagnosed with silicosis may end up needing a lung transplant, or, in severe cases, will suffer a painful and premature death. 

“After years of harrowing stories of workers as young as 30 years old suffering and dying from silicosis, the Albanese Government is taking further action,” a government statement said. 

Murray Watt, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, stressed that the importation ban is an essential measure to protect the health of tradies. 

“These illnesses have been devastating and debilitating for Australian workers and their families, and we cannot continue to allow it to happen,” Watt said. 

“That’s why we are introducing an import ban on engineered stone to protect workers from this deadly disease, providing an extra layer of deterrence at the border.”