Claims of dangerous silica dust exposure after flooring job

A single mother and her three children have been forced to live in the entryway of their home amid a health risk one expert described as the “worst” in his career.

Dust found in a single mum's house after a shoddy flooring job on the Sunshine Coast. Picture: Supplied

A disabled, single mother-of-three has been potentially exposed to deadly silica dust after a flooring job that has left her distraught and thousands of dollars out of pocket.

The woman, who can’t be named as she is a victim of domestic violence, was forced to call in a flooring company – Choices Flooring Maroochydore – after a break-in caused glass from shattered windows to be embedded in her home’s carpet.

The floors of her Maroochydore home were ground down by labourers in preparation for the job in recent weeks.

According to the woman, this caused her home to be caked in layers of dust – a substance trade certified subcontractor Aidan Charles believes is deadly silica dust.

Dust found in a single mum's home after a shoddy flooring job on the Sunshine Coast. Picture: Supplied

According to the Cancer Council, exposure to silica dust can lead to lung cancer and silicosis, which causes scarring and stiffening of the lungs, along with other illnesses like kidney disease.

Mr Charles was called in by the woman to provide a second opinion on the job and said he’d never seen a silica dust issue this bad in his career.

The woman and her children are now living in the entryway of their home with the few belongings they’ve managed to grab and wipe down to ensure they’re not constantly exposed to the dust.

“It is on the beds, couch, clothes, food. The children are coughing. We have been there for two weeks breathing in the dust,” she said.

Choices Flooring Maroochydore – and the franchise’s parent company Choices Flooring – did not respond to questions.

Dust found in a single mum's home after a shoddy flooring job on the Sunshine Coast. Picture: Supplied

The woman said she had used hours from her disability support worker allowance to clean the home and ready it for the new floors, and now “it’s all a disaster”.

“My support workers are not allowed to come over and help me until the house is cleaned for health and safety reasons,” she said.

The woman has sought legal advice and was told they couldn’t help until she was diagnosed with a silica-related illness.

According to the woman, Choices Flooring Maroochydore called her to apologise for the mental trauma.

The Safe Work Queensland guide on working with silica substances states the company has the primary duty of care for the health and safety of its workers and others at the workplace under state law.

Originally published as Claims of dangerous silica dust exposure after flooring job