n By Keith Hatch BAN ENGINEERED STONE CALL
Unite is so concerned about the dangers of silica at work that it’s calling for an outright ban on engineered stone products – like many popular kitchen tabletops for example. The TUC has also called for a ban, and Australia has banned them.
Unite national officer Jason Poulter said, “Unite believes the best way to reduce silicosis is to tackle the root cause and ban the use, supply and manufacture of engineered stone, so that workers will not have to encounter this deadly dust.
“Meanwhile employees need to be made aware of the risks and employers need to do their utmost to reduce RCS dust and provide the respiratory protection equipment workers need to be safe.
“Unite reps need to be aware of silicosis and encourage anyone affected to sign the Silica Risk Register.”
WARNING – SILICA DUST AT WORK
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued a warning for companies installing stone worktops.
Updated guidance tells firms they must protect workers from exposure to stone dust and respirable crystalline silica (RCS) by putting in place suitable controls.
Processing engineered stone by cutting, chiselling and polishing can put workers at risk of breathing in dust particles, which can cause respiratory disease including silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer.
Cases of silicosis linked to artificial stone cutting are rising and the HSE described silica dust as “the single biggest risk to construction workers after asbestos.”
The new HSE guidance for installers of stone worktops states:
• Installers should understand risks of processing stone and how to use suitable controls
• Worktops should be prefabricated to avoid further processing on site
• Water suppression or on-tool extraction with shroud and dust collector attached to an M-class vacuum should be used to control any dust generated
• Respiratory protective equipment with an assigned protection factor (APF) of at least 20 (eg FFP3 face mask) should be worn when processing stone
• Cleaning should be by wet methods or dust class M vacuum to prevent creation of dust.
FIND OUT MORE
HSE guidance can be found on its Work Right page
https://workright.campaign.gov. uk/campaigns/stoneworking/
GET INVOLVED!
Unite’s campaign to ban engineered stone launches in Parliament in early November.
SILICA RISK REGISTER Could this be you?
Sign up today at
www.unitelegalservices.org/ services/silica-dust
Or scan the QR code
• See page 2 for more on the dangers of dust
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