Australia bans engineered stone due to chronic illness in stonemasons; Filipino worker among those affected

A nationwide ban on importing or using engineered stone will take effect in July 2024.

Ronnie Pongos wants the use of high-silica-engineered stone to be banned in Australia. Source: SBS / Tom Stayner

Key Points

• Engineered stone became popular in the 2000s as a durable and more affordable alternative to natural stones like marble and granite for making benchtops.
• According to estimates from Safe Work Australia, between two and three million homes in Australia have engineered stone benchtops.
• After a 2015 incident where a worker developed a fatal and incurable illness known as silicosis, further investigation revealed that inhaling these stones' dust is deadly, especially when they are cut and processed.

A Filipino stonemason named Ronnie Ponggos was diagnosed with chronic silicosis, an incurable lung disease.

It is caused by inhaling fine silica dust from cutting and processing stone benchtops and tiles commonly found in kitchens.

Ronnie Ponggos has been forced to give up his job as a result of his health condition. Source: Supplied / Ronnie Ponggos

While many are celebrating the ban on engineered stone as a victory, some groups in the industry have expressed doubts about its impact on businesses that rely on the material.