Canterbury-Bankstown mayor Bilal El-Hayek pushes to ban silica-based products from new developments

One Sydney council is set to lead the way and investigate a ban on silica-based products in all new developments to stop serious harm caused by the “new asbestos”.

Canterbury-Bankstown council will lead the way in banning silica-based products in new developments in the city.

One Sydney council is set to lead the way and investigate a ban on silica-based products in all new developments to stop serious harm caused by the “new asbestos”.

Engineered benchtops, used in Australian kitchens and bathrooms, contain a high concentration of crystalline silica.

Working with engineered stone can expose workers to the risk of potentially deadly silicosis – a progressive and incurable lung disease caused by prolonged exposure to tiny particles of silica dust.

Modelling released by Curtin University found more than 10,000 Australians will develop lung cancer and up to 103,000 workers will be diagnosed with silicosis as a result of exposure to silica dust.

Canterbury-Bankstown mayor Bilal El-Hayek said his council had the chance to become a “leader when it comes to this silent killer”.

Canterbury-Bankstown mayor Bilal El-Hayek has called for a ban on silica-based products in the city. Picture: Robert Pozo.

“Exposure to silica, which is contained in most benchtops, is a national disgrace,” he said.

“You will all be equally horrified to learn that around 500,000 people have been exposed to its dust …. and it will come as no surprise many of those workers are here in our city.”

Mr El-Hayek said the “dogs are barking when it comes to the harmful effects of silicosis”, following the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union’s (CFMEU) calls for a national dust register and mandatory reporting.

“We are all entitled and expect to go to work each and every day knowing our workplace has

in place health and safety guidelines … guidelines that ensure we go home to our loved

ones,” he said.

According to NSW Health, there was 65 silicosis cases and nine silicosis related deaths across the state in the 12 months before June 2023.

Cases of silicosis are re-emerging in tradesmen working with engineered granite on kitchen benchtops.

Cells taken from the lungs of a patient with silicosis, notice the speck of silica dust shining brightly

This comes after CFMEU members gathered outside Bunnings stores in Queensland, NSW, Victoria, ACT, WA and SA on Saturday to urge the company to stop selling engineered stone kitchen bench tops.

“Bunnings customers deserve to know it is profiting from killer stone bench tops,” CFMEU national secretary Zach Smith said.

“Bunnings will stop selling killer stone immediately if it really cares about Australian workers’ lives.”

The Minns government recently announced employers who fail to adequately protect workers from silica dust will face up to 10 years in prison or fines up to $2.2m.

Federal and state ministers are also considering a Safe Work Australia report about a potential ban on high-concentration crystalline silica slabs.