UK-Based Stonemason Diagnosed with Silicosis

UK's First Silicosis Diagnosis from Engineered Stone Work

Following exposure to the deadly dust that is created from grinding engineered stone, a 31-year-old stonemason has been diagnosed with Silicosis. Engineered stone is a popular kitchen countertop material that has been used in the UK for a few decades. It’s increasingly in demand for kitchen worktops as it’s a cheaper alternative to natural stone, and it’s easier to cut, shape and polish than natural stone. However, it contains a much higher content of Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS), which has led to an increase in global cases of occupational Silicosis lung disease.

Sadly, the UK worker is now in full time care at a leading heart and lung disease hospital in London, unable to walk more than a few steps without requiring oxygen for his breathing. The worker revealed that his workplace only provided him with a face mask, and he often ended his working day covered head to toe in dust. The company he was working for reportedly had no safety measures within the factory, such as ‘wet’ cutting to suppress dust and no specialist PPE. The extraction machine did not work properly because it was not cleaned regularly, and no safety inspections took place to check the effectiveness of the extraction unit. The worker is calling for the new Labour government to ban the high-silica material and hopes that by sharing his story it will help educate other people on the dangers of silica dust.

Just last month, Australia become the worlds-first country to ban engineered stone after the volume of workers contracting silicosis raised concerns. The ban has been transitioning since December 2023, and officially began from 1^st July 2024, with alternative materials readily available to be used instead of engineered stone. The ban was approved after 579 stonemasons were found to have contracted Silicosis between 2015 – 2022, with workers in their 30s and 40s becoming critically ill. This new ban hasn’t been well received by all in Australia, with a large, engineered stone manufacturer commenting on the failure to address the real cause of the Silicosis cases – which in their opinion is poor compliance with and enforcement of safety standards.

Exposure to RCS is a Growing Concern:

It’s not just workers in the stonemasonry industry who are exposed to concerning levels of silica dust, it’s also those working in:

• Construction and demolition, because of exposure to concrete and paving materials.
• Pottery, glass, and ceramics manufacturing
• Sand blasting
• Mining and quarrying
• Sweeping and shovelling dry materials (usually in construction)

Fears rise in the UK that respirable crystalline silica could become "the next asbestos". The HSE has previously stated ‘the biggest risk to construction workers after asbestos is Silica Dust’, with an estimated 600,000 workers exposed to silica in the UK each year.

Crystalline Silica is a material found naturally in materials such as stone, soil and sand. Silica is present in many construction materials, with some of the highest silica content materials being sandstone 70-90%, plastic composites 19-90% and concrete mortar 25-70%. Silica dust particles are 100x smaller than a particle of beach sand, meaning it’s difficult to see the dust particles with the naked eye, making it easy to inhale without knowing.

The amount of dust inhaled to cause damage is not large. The most a person should be inhaling during a working day is shown next to the penny. – HSE

What is silicosis?

It’s a form of lung disease caused by inhaling crystalline silica dust over an extended period. Due to the size of silica dust particles, once breathed in, it can travel deep into the lungs. Repeated exposure can result in the continuous build up on the lung tissue, resulting in hardened and scarred tissue which reduces the functionality of the lungs and leads to breathing difficulties. After contracting Silicosis, the devastating health effects are irreversible. Breathing in silica dust can also cause other devastating lung diseases including COPD, bronchitis and emphysema.

With high silica content materials in use every day by the UK’s workforce, it begs the question, what should employers be doing to ensure that the health of their workers is protected? It’s important to know that exposure to silica dust CAN and SHOULD be prevented. With increasing knowledge of the devastating health effects, it’s more vital than ever to protect the UK’s workforce.

There are many ways to reduce or eliminate silica dust before it encounters workers, such as:

• Using alternative building materials which contain less hazardous materials, or ideally a different method of working, if possible, to completely remove the dust hazard.
• Changing the process of cutting, or the tools used, to produce less dust when grinding materials.
• Installing a suitable dust suppression unit to prevent dust from becoming airborne in the first place, or to intercept any airborne particles and bring them to the ground.
• An LEV system for dust extraction is an effective method of capturing silica dust at the source before it comes into contact with workers. The dust is securely stored inside the dust extraction unit until it’s ready for safe disposal.
• Ban using a broom on site, using a broom will increase the level of airborne dust and the likeliness of inhalation. Instead, use a suitable M Class vacuum to collect settled silica dust safely.
• Present regular training and toolbox talks for the site team to ensure they are aware of the dangers, and display warning signage on site where appropriate.
• Provide employees with appropriate protective gear, such as a respiratory face mask and perform regular fit tests. Although, please note this acts as an additional defence against dust, and other more effective measures should also be in place.

Specialist Equipment for Extracting and Filtering Silica Dust:

As a specialist hire company with a mission to protect the long-term health of people and the environment from hazards on site, RVT Group offer a variety of solutions suitable for controlling silica dust. RVT Group offer some of the most powerful dust extraction and filtration units on the market.

For example, the DUSTEX® DustMaster®Pro can filter up to H14 (HEPA) standard which captures an impressive 99.99% of 0.3-micrometer air particles.

To put this into perspective, if there were 1 million dust particles, only 10 would not be captured.

Watch this video to see the comparison of no dust control equipment vs. a DUSTEX® DustMaster®Pro installed on site:

The 3 C's® Methodology:

Here at RVT Group, we follow the proven 3 C’s® methodology to ensure effective dust control on site - Capture, Contain, Control.

Capture the hazard- Position the dust extraction hood as close as possible to the site activity to ensure the dust is captured immediately at the source as it’s created.

Contain the hazard- The work area should be contained as much as possible to prevent dust migrating and affecting other workers on site or people nearby.

Control the hazard- Negative pressure can be applied to ensure there is zero dust migration outside of the work area.

Here is a diagram of how the 3 C’s® methodology works:

Popular Dust Control Solutions:

Dustex® Raptor - This self-contained and portable filtration unit captures and filters dust from a range of construction tasks and is suitable for extracting silica dust. With an adjustable airflow between 340 – 1000m3/hr, this portable extraction unit is the most powerful of its size on the market. The Raptor incorporates a three-stage filter system- the first being washable, capturing the bulk of heavy dust; this can be removed and cleaned as required during use. The final HEPA filter makes it suitable for controlling hazardous dust such as respirable crystalline silica.

Find out more >Dustex Raptor | Mobile Dust Extraction Unit | HEPA… | RVT Group

Dustex® Dustmaster® Pro – By creating a negative pressure environment, the Dustmaster® Pro can work as part of a fixed system to ensure zero dust migration outside of the work area. This is a very popular solution, especially if a project is taking place in a live or sensitive environment, because it will protect workers as well as others nearby from dust exposure. With a high-performance mixed flow fan achieving 2500m3/hr, and offering a 100% reliable seal, you can rest assured you are protecting your workers and those nearby from all types of dusty activities on site.

Find out more > DUSTEX® DustMaster Pro | Silica Dust Extraction | RVT Group

Dust Suppression is a great way to control dust from activities such as demolition and quarrying. It can either dampen down surfaces and stockpiles to stop dust from becoming airborne, or a fine mist is sprayed to intercept airborne particles and bring them to the ground. Some units provide a very fine mist, whereas others provide a high concentration of water to suppress heavier dust particles. Our units vary in size and can offer a throw of between 10m and 80m. Some models feature an integrated water tank for convenience, whereas other units need to be connected to a water supply; each are best suited to different applications.

View Mist Cannon > Dustex HydraMist 13 | Dust Suppression | Airborne Dust | RVT Group

RVT's M Class Vacuum is a powerful machine, offering both wet and dry vacuum cleaning. This vacuum cleaner is suitable for vacuuming dust, solids, liquids, powders, oils and metal shavings, ideal for the general cleaning of floors and machinery on site. Using a vacuum to collect settled dust is a much safer way to extract it compared to other methods such as a broom, which can re-create hazardous dust environments.

View Industrial Vacuums > Dustex Equipment | Dust Control | Dust Extraction | Silica | RVT Group

Dust Enclosures play a crucial role in controlling dust on site. For example, the DUSTEX® Dust Trap is one of the most popular choices for hire. It can be easily erected within 5 minutes, it's 2.5m x 2.5m in size giving the user enough space to work comfortably, and is the perfect solution for localised cement mixing, replacing floor tiles, and other very dusty activities on site. It will contain the majority of dust inside the enclosure, and for most projects, it's the perfect solution for dust control requirements on site. To reduce dust migration completely, team a high airflow dust extraction unit (such as the DUSTEX® Dustmaster® Pro) with a DUSTEX® enclosure to achieve a negative pressure environment.

Silica Dust Training Materials:

If you are interested to learn more about Silica dust and preventing exposure, check out some of our FREE resources below ->

Toolbox Talk Training- Toolbox Talk | Dust | Construction | Respirable… | RVT Group

Whitepaper: Understanding the Dangers of Silica Dust-Understanding the Dangers of Silica Dust | RVT Group

Poster: Silica Dust: What you need to know- Free Poster l Silica Dust l What You Need to Know | RVT Group

Speak to a Specialist:

Here at RVT Group we are always on hand to provide compliant hazard control solutions for your site.

If you require support for your latest project, don’t hesitate to contact us on 0808 281 3150.

Alternatively, fill in our enquiry form and one of our qualified consultants will be in touch.