A popular type of hob seen in kitchens across the country should be banned due to its deadly effects on lung health, union leaders have demanded.
Modern quartz countertops have been linked to 18 cases in the UK of a fatal lung disease called engineered stone silicosis, which develops when those who make the countertops breathe toxic silica dust.
The youngest case was that of a stonemason who was only 24 years old.
Two British men under the age of 50, both stone engineers, have already died from the disease.
The risk of working with the material is such that the Australian Government banned the use, supply and manufacture of the stone in July last year.
Now, in fresh calls for a ban in the UK, the Trades Union Congress (TUC), which represents some 5.5 million workers, has said the me that stopping quartz manufacturing in Britain would “prevent hundreds of deaths”.
Shelly Asquith, head of health and safety policy at the union federation, said current exposure limits for silica dust have been set “too high”.
‘Research shows that if we halved the amount of dust that workers can legally be exposed to, hundreds of deaths would be prevented.
The image above shows a quartz countertop in a kitchen. Releases silicon dust while cutting, which can increase the risk of lung diseases for workers.
“Britain must go even further by prioritizing workers’ health and banning the use of high-silica artificial stone which, as tragic and avoidable deaths demonstrate, can be lethal.”
Last month, father-of-three and stonemason Marek Marzec, 48, died after months of receiving end-of-life care for silicosis.
Marzec said the dust he inhaled while cutting modern quartz kitchen countertops left him “unable to breathe” and “in terrible pain.”
Meanwhile, in May, Wessam al Jundi, 28, died in hospital while awaiting a lung transplant in what is believed to be the first confirmed death from silicosis linked to quartz countertops.
Popular in kitchen renovations, countertops are cheaper than granite or marble.
Engineered from one of the hardest minerals on the planet, they are typically composed of approximately 90 percent ground quartz and 10 percent resins and pigments.
When prepared for installation, they are also typically cut and polished “dry” with an angle grinder or other hand tools without the use of water to suppress dust generation, further increasing the volume of fine dust.
Last year, eight men, who were between 27 and 56 years old at the time of diagnosis, were referred to a clinic specializing in occupational lung diseases.
Mr Marzec, originally from Poland, has worked for several artificial stone manufacturers in North London and Hertfordshire since 2012. He was diagnosed with silicosis in April 2024.
Two were being evaluated for lung transplants, three for an autoimmune disease, and two for opportunistic lung infection caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria when the disease was discovered.
Exposure to stone dust had a mean duration of 12.5 years, but ranged from four to 40 years, and all of the men worked for small businesses with fewer than ten employees.
Although none worked on countertop fabrication or installation, all performed the “finishing” process, specifically cutting and polishing the countertops before installation.
All reported that this was done without constant water suppression and without what they considered to be adequate respiratory protection.
Even when there was ventilation in the workshop, the men claimed that the system had not been regularly serviced or cleaned. None of them were aware of the existence of active control of suspended dust in the workplace.
Now, the total number of patients is reported to have reached 18.
The director of the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS), the chartered workplace protection society, described stone-making workplaces as “sweatshops” which he said put workers at risk. workers by failing to comply with safety regulations.
In August, doctors treating the growing number of patients at London’s Royal Brompton hospital called for a ban on the material.
Marek Marzec became terminally ill at age 48 after spending a decade working with quartz countertops in a stone factory. His family has since confirmed his death.
They wrote in the British Medical Journal’s Thorax: “The onset of the disease is likely to be related to the levels of exposure, suggesting that the levels, at least for some of the UK cases…were extremely high and They imply that employers did not control dust exposure or comply with safety and health standards.
‘The market is dominated by small businesses where implementation of regulation has proven difficult. Additionally, at least some countertop manufacturers may not provide adequate technical information about potential risks.
‘Even with cessation of exposure, disease progression has been observed in more than 50 percent of cases over (an average) 4 years. Therefore, disease prevention is essential.’
These calls are supported by a second study published in Occupational & Environmental Medicine, which stated that the substance could be phased out.
The researchers wrote: ‘In the meantime, all possible control measures should be taken to keep exposure (to respirable crystalline silica) as low as possible.
“We believe this proposal is proportionate and would protect the health of European workers and other workers around the world, while encouraging the industry to continue developing safer products.”
Dr. Johanna Feary, an expert in lung diseases who currently treats patients with the condition, said there is “no good treatment” for this deadly disease.
‘The diagnosis can be devastating. “It’s affecting young men, many of whom have only worked with this material for a few years,” he told The Sun.
Speaking from his hospital bed in October, tragic victim Marek Marzec said: “I came to the UK hoping to build a better life and wanting to make sure my young daughters were financially secure.”
‘Instead, because of the work I did cutting quartz countertops, I was left unable to breathe and in terrible pain.
‘I cannot express how angry I am that I was allowed to work in these conditions and that my life was cut short simply for doing my job.
‘I am not the only person whose life has been in danger due to this deadly dust.
“It is time to take urgent action to put an end to these dangerous working conditions that I had to face before other stone workers contracted this terrible disease and died.”
In a statement published in August, a spokesperson for the Government’s Health and Safety Executive said: ‘Our deepest sympathies are with those who have lost loved ones to any work-related illness.
‘Britain has a strong and well-established regulatory framework to protect workers from the health risks associated with exposure to hazardous substances.
“We continue to work with industry to raise awareness about managing the risks of exposure to respirable crystalline silica and are considering options for future interventions to ensure workers are protected.”