The manufacturing, use and import of harmful engineered stone products is a step closer to a national ban on after the Australian Labor Party (ALP) national platform was amended according to the CFMEU.

The amendment states that: “Labor will take all necessary steps to eradicate the hazard posed to workers by exposure to silica dust. Labor recognises that the elimination of silicosis requires the strong coordinated efforts of all governments to take all necessary measures, including a ban on the manufacture, use and import of harmful engineered stone products, as well as other preventative measures.”

Measures included to combat harmful silica dust include regulatory changes, a comprehensive health monitoring program during and after employment, a national dust register and both financial and psychological help for those affected and their families.

CFMEU construction and general division national secretary Zach Smith says the inclusion of a ban on engineered stone products was welcomed by all building workers following a history of young tradespeople losing their lives from the “deadly dust” across the country.

“I want to thank delegates to the ALP National Conference for voting to include this ban on harmful engineered stone products in the ALP national platform. We know that one in four of the workers who use this stone will develop deadly silicosis or other deadly dust diseases,” he says.

“You don’t need engineered stone to build homes or offices, it’s not integral to the building process, it’s a cosmetic product, and it’s no substitute for the health of a tradesperson no matter how good a kitchen might look.”