HOW THE BAN WORKS - stopthiskillerstone.com.au

BAN COMMENCES 1st July 2024

The CFMEU has successfully campaigned for a national ban on the manufacture, importation, processing and handling of engineered stone on and off worksites in Australia.

We have been clear from the beginning – this product is unsafe, it kills workers, and we will institute an on-site ban from 1 July 2024.Queensland, Victoria and the ACT fully adhere to the comprehensive ban of engineered stone from 1 July 2024.

NSW, SA, WA, Tasmania and the NT have announced a transition period, where contracts signed before 31 December 2023 allows the company who signed the contract to install engineered stone products until 31 December 2024. These states and territory are not taking worker safety seriously. We will not allow this product on site from 1 July 2024.

You have the legal power to refuse unsafe work. There is no safe level of exposure to silica dust from engineered stone. Understanding how the ban works and your rights at work is crucial to keeping your worksite safe.

What is Engineered Stone: Defined as any artificial product containing more than 1% crystalline silica.
Processing Engineered Stone: Processing engineered stone is completely banned in Australia from 1st July. This includes crushing, grinding, trimming, sanding, abrasive polishing and drilling using power tools or other mechanical plant.

The Ban Covers: Use, supply, manufacture and installation of any engineered stone benchtops, panels or slabs. Engineered stone is defines as any product containing 1% or more crystalline silica.The Ban Excludes: Porcelain products, sintered stone without resin and finished engineered stone products like kitchen sinks, garden ornaments and sculptures.

Handling Existing Engineered Stone: If your employer requires you to remove, dispose, repair or make a minor modification to existing engineered stone with existing engineered stone, they must notify the WHS regulator of the work. A national notification framework will apply from 1st July 2024.

Safe Work Australia and the State and Territory WHS regulators are currently developing the new regulations to apply under the ban on engineered stone and for high-risk silica processes. The CFMEU will provide further guidance once these regulations are finalised.

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Dear State and Federal Ministers,

Engineered stone is used commonly around Australia for kitchen benchtops and other surfaces. But the dust from cutting this material causes the deadly lung disease silicosis. There is no cure and there is no safe amount of silica exposure.

Young and old workers have been handed a death sentence after working with engineered stone. We must ban the use and import of this product.

The Federal and State Governments need to act now to prevent more unnecessary deaths. If governments won’t stop killer stone, the Union will. The CFMEU will ban the use of engineered stone on work sites from mid-next year.

Engineered stone is the asbestos of the 2020s. The companies that pump this cheap and deadly material into the Australian market know how dangerous it is but simply don’t care.

That’s why we’re asking you to send a clear message and to save Australian workers’ lives.

Stop this killer stone.

Sincerely,
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