UK stonemasons face rising silicosis deaths from quartz worktops
Updated
Updated · The Sun · May 6
UK stonemasons face rising silicosis deaths from quartz worktops
10 articles · Updated · The Sun · May 6
Doctors say UK cases jumped from eight to 45 in just over a year, with at least four deaths and some men in their twenties needing urgent lung transplants.
Royal Brompton Hospital consultant Dr Jo Feary said new patients were arriving monthly, while poor awareness and misdiagnosis, often as sarcoidosis, delayed treatment until disease was advanced.
Experts want national screening, GP education and mandatory occupational health checks, echoing Australia, where about 1,000 stonemasons have been diagnosed since 2015.
Why are young stonemasons dying while regulators debate a threat Australia has already banned?
Is the 'new asbestos' hiding in plain sight on your trendy kitchen countertop?
Engineered Stone and Silicosis: The Escalating Health Emergency Facing UK Stonemasons
Overview
The UK stonemasonry sector faces a growing health crisis due to the widespread use of artificial stone, which has become popular for its look and durability. Unlike natural stones such as marble and granite, artificial stone contains extremely high levels of silica—over 90 percent. This big difference in composition means that workers exposed to dust from artificial stone are at much greater risk. The dust can cause silicosis, a serious and incurable lung disease. As a result, stonemasons and other workers are facing severe health hazards linked directly to the materials they work with every day.