Major safety alert issued for kitchen revamp stone linked to deaths

The UK’s health and safety watchdog has issued a major alert for a worktop popular in kitchen revamps after the deaths of young tradespeople.

Trendy engineered stone slabs, primarily quartz, have soared in popularity in recent years among homeowners having kitchen refurbishments.

But the material contains high levels of silica which, when cut without proper safety measures, produces a toxic, fine dust which can shred lungs and cause an aggressive form of silicosis when inhaled.

It the first official guidance related to the man-made stone, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) warns employers they must prevent workers from breathing in toxic silica dust.

The HSE has previously only issued guidance on working with stone in general – rather than engineered stone, which has been linked to the new rapid form of silicosis among young stonemasons.

It is an incurable and deadly lung disease, with at least 18 UK cases so far identified, the youngest in a man aged just 24.

In November, father-of-three Marek Marzec, 48, died just weeks after speaking to The i Paper from his London hospital bed, where he was receiving end-of-life care for the deadly lung disease.

His death followed that of Wessam al Jundi, 28, who died in hospital in May while waiting for a lung transplant in what is believed to be the first confirmed death from silicosis in a UK engineered stone worker.

The new HSE guidance warns that engineered stone must be installed by competent staff following effective processes, along with releasing pre, on-site and post-installation requirements.

It also highlights the dangers of practices such as dry-cutting without water suppression tools to dampen respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust.

It is aimed at employers who have a legal obligation to protect their workers from silica dust.

The advice comes after The i Paper revealed the UK’s first cases of silicosis in young stonemasons who inhaled toxic dust from cutting high-silica engineered stone in 2024.

The material has already been banned in Australia after hundreds of cases of silicosis were diagnosed in stonemasons, most of whom were under the age of 35.

How HSE recommends minimising risk

HSE’s new guidance highlights a number of important steps that should be taken to minimise risk, including: 

• Installers understanding the risk of processing stone and how to use suitable controls
• Worktops being pre-fabricated so further processing on-site is avoided
• Water suppression or on-tool extraction with shroud and dust collector attached to an M-class vacuum being used to control any dust generated
• Respiratory protective equipment with an assigned protection factor (APF) of at least 20 (e.g. FFP3 face mask) being worn when processing the stone
• Cleaning being done by wet methods or dust class M vacuum to prevent the creation of dust

Last week, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) became the first official body to call for engineered stone to be banned, saying it would “prevent hundreds of deaths”.

In October, the HSE met with manufacturers of stone products to discuss practical solutions to protect workers from exposure to silica dust and shared draft guidance with industry experts.

The workplace safety body is also understood to be reviewing the circumstances of use of engineered stone and the latest global evidence to consider what additional controls or action may be necessary.

The head of HSE previously praised The i Paper for uncovering the issue in a series of reports over the last year, saying it “will undoubtedly save lives”.

Mike Calcutt, deputy director of health and work at the health watchdog, said on Tuesday: “HSE will continue to work with industry stakeholders to raise awareness of managing the risks from exposure to respirable crystalline silica.

“It’s important that businesses act now to ensure they comply with the law and protect their workers from serious lung diseases.

“HSE’s inspectors have often found poor management of control measures including water suppression, dust extraction, equipment maintenance, cleaning and RPE provision.

“Employers should ensure suitable control measures are properly used and maintained.”

Silicosis occurs when silica dust is inhaled, causing inflammation in the lungs, which gradually leads to hardened and scarred tissue which means the lung cannot function properly.

This can lead to persistent shortness of breath, weakness and tiredness, and an ongoing cough.

People with the condition may eventually find everyday activities, including walking or climbing stairs, very difficult.

Victims can be largely confined to bed or be housebound.

Rob Miguel, national health and safety advisor at Unite the Union, has previously called the the global artificial stone silicosis outbreak a “tragedy”.

“There is no need for high-silica stone use in the UK and Unite fully supports a ban,” Mr Miguel added.