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Medical expert joins calls for UK artificial stone ban
A LEADING doctor has called upon the UK government to consider a ban on artificial stone worktops, following a rise
in identified
silicosis cases. The first officially
recognised case of artifical stone silicosis in the UK was recorded last year, but doctors have now identified eight more stonemasons who are
a rise in cases, a law which officially came into effect this July. Dr Feary advised that the UK should consider “a legal requirement to report cases of Artifical Silicosis (AS), implementation of
health
regulation with a focus on small companies, and a UK ban on AS”. All eight of the individuals identified in Dr Feary’s research were stonemasons involved in cutting and polishing stone worktops before installation. They all reported “that this was done
now suffering
with the condition, which was confirmed in a newly-released scientific paper. Following the paper’s release, its author, Dr Johanna Feary, a senior clinical research fellow at Imperial College London, has warned that its findings suggest that the situation is only going to worsen in years to come. She also called for “a concentrated effort” to
regulate artificial stone “to prevent the epidemic seen in other countries”. Last year, Australia’s government voted to ban engineered stone products from the country after
without consistent water suppression, without what they felt was appropriate respiratory protection and that even where workshop ventilation was present, they stated that the system had not been serviced or cleaned regularly. None were aware of airborne dust monitoring in the workplace”. Dr Feary said that, “the cases illustrate the
failure of the employer to take responsibility for exposure control in their workplaces.” The UK’s Health and Safety Executive officially advises that the products are safe to use, but specifies that fabricators must take precautions such as “wet cutting” the products, and wearing adequate respiratory protection.
Athena Surfaces: safe manufacturing ‘has always been a priority for us’
STONE FABRICATOR Athena Surfaces says it has been preparing for a backlash against unsafe fabrication “for years”, stating that safe manufacturing “has always been a priority” for the company. The fabricator, which was established in 2014, says it believes it has always been at the forefront when it comes to safe practice. According to the company, its production includes the use of water to mitigate dust, and the use of full positive flow PPE. Athena says that by following these measures, it is “effectively removing the risk of exposure to silica dust”. Athena Surfaces also claims to be “the only company that has had the foresight to anticipate these challenges and get ready to provide a solution”, referring to its range of porcelain surfaces. A statement from the company reads: “Athena Surfaces has been preparing for this for years. We have invested in a porcelain worktop processing factory, even during economic downturns when others reduced spending. Our porcelain worktops are the answer to the market’s needs.”
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WFF meets with medical community to highlight safe fabrication
THE WORKTOP Fabricators’ Federation (WFF) has met with the doctors who have called for a ban on engineered stone in the UK, hoping to show them why it believes proper regulations are the solution to health concerns. The WFF said that two of its members, Granite House and Granite Tops, recently opened their doors
to Dr Johanna Feary from the Royal
Brompton in London, Prof. Martie van Tongeren from Manchester University and Mike Slater from the British Occupational Hygiene Society. According to the WFF, the medical professionals
were able to witness firsthand the various techniques that it says are integral to the safe fabrication of
worktops, which included
wet-cutting, extraction, water recycling, sludge removal and hand-finishing. The Federation says it aimed to give the medical professionals “a warts-and-all experience of the realities of worktop production lines”, which also highlighted the solutions that various WFF members have put in place to keep their workers safe. Chris Pateman, general secretary of the WFF, said he thought it was “hugely useful to get both sets of experts face to face”. He also commented: “Ideas came out in conversation that might never have arisen if we had stayed in our respective bubbles. The idea of preventative CAT scans, instead of retrospective X-rays, for example, is something only a medical expert with access to NHS resources could consider. “This was a really useful next step in WFF’s engagement with the academics. Despite what the newspapers might want us to believe, we are all on the same side here: nobody wants to see our workers put at risk, and everyone wants the safest-possible industry.”
September 2024
iStock.com/Maulana Ahsan
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