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'The only way to stop it is to ban it': The battle to stop engineered stone killing workers

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-30/silicosis-ban-on-engineered-stone-in-kitchens-bathrooms/103031768

The resounding message of the Safe Work Australia report into silicosis is simple: Ban engineered stone benchtops and save worker lives. So what will make governments act, asks Adele Ferguson.

'The only way to stop it is to ban it': The battle to stop engineered stone killing workers

Damning silicosis report calls for world-first ban on deadly engineered stone —will governments listen?

Silicosis is a work-related disease that is entirely preventable. It is on the rise globally due in part to weak regulators and companies putting profit before the safety of workers.

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Mardukas

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Of course everything shouldn't be banned but everything does not lead to incurable diseases either. Working with things this dangerous and which provides no actual benefit for society is not worth regulating, consider who would pay for it.

Edit: It should also be noted that current evidence does not point towards there being a safe level of exposure to this dust. Any regulation must therefore be incredibly strict. Even if we disregard taxes, most of the economic pressure due to these regulations would befall the small businesses that cut these countertops. The large manufacturers of these materials would still be able to rake in profits while the little man pays for all the negatives.