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In a world first, a ban on manufactured stone has gone into effect across the country from today.
The ban comes after it was revealed the material has been the main catalyst behind the deaths of many construction workers across the country.
Zack Smith, National Secretary of the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union has hailed the decision.
"We know that this product is killing workers as we speak. One in four workers in New South Wales alone that are using this product is getting screened for silicosis or another form of deadly dust disease. In all but the rarest of circumstances, these diagnoses are death sentences. We welcome this ban. This is something that the union has campaigned long and hard for. And we know that this ban will save the lives of Australian construction workers."
The nationwide ban comes following an agreement between federal, state and territory ministers last December.
Engineered stone is most commonly used on the development of kitchen benchtops, with workers who use the material being put at risk of developing the deadly lung disease, silicosis.
Melita Markey, Director of the Institute of Respiratory Health in Western Australia, says this decision will save the lives of many workers.
"It's a brilliant move because the impact on worker's health is huge. Remember that silicosis is not curable and in the very early stages it is possible, if it's identified, the worker can change careers and move into something else and with the use of antifibrotics and other treatments we can limit the damage."
Ms Markey says the low survival rate is largely due to the difficulty in identifying this disease.
"It's very hard to diagnose in the early stages. So, people can often only be diagnosed when the disease is quite progressed and there's little chance of the people recovering at all."
Dean Morris is a former stonemason who worked in the construction industry for over 20 years.
He was forced to stop when he contracted silicosis.
"I have mixed emotions about it because this is something that should've happened years ago. It's taken far too long. And the issue we'll have, you'll see probably in the next decade or so, that the exposure that we've had in the past couple of years now is yet to come for tradies."
Mr Morris says he first got symptoms a decade ago, but getting a diagnosis took time.
"I've had health issues (since) way back in November 2014. I was seeing my doctor, I had blood tests and this and that, I had scans about severe fatigue and tiredness. And back then (they) couldn't tie it to anything."
Silicosis is caused when the dust used in engineered stone enters the lungs and causes scarring, making it harder for those affected to breathe.
It can be life-altering, making it difficult for individuals to follow their daily routine.
"It's completely changed my life. I have two daughters and I struggle to go kick a football with them. To do things physically, to go out, even to go shopping and just the basic things you think you can do, I have to micromanage it, I have to be careful, I have to rest and I need time for recovery. Even household chores. It's not just permanently being short of breath with this. It's chest pains, muscle aches and joint pains. Severe fatigue, I'm always tired."
The Lung Foundation of Australia estimated that in 2023 around 600,000 workers across the country were being exposed to silica dust, putting their lives at risk.
Speaking to SBS Chinese, another construction worker named James, who's also been affected by the disease, says people need to use caution when they're around dangerous materials.
"Many people don't know about silicosis. Workers on site should take proper precautions and not take it lightly, as I did in the past."
Melita Markey from the Western Australian Institute of Respiratory Health says there's a lot more that can be done to protect the health of young workers.
"Medical research in dust diseases in this country is poorly funded. I also work with patients with asbestos disease and yet the ban was 20 years ago and we still had 4100 death last year, which is three times the national tolls from asbestos-related diseases, 20 years after the ban, so you can only think we're going to be modelling similar effects 20 years after this ban starting from today, if we don't invest in research. So our institute is really calling on government to make solid funds available, and not to have to jump through so many hoops to access any funding and to really focus on worker's disease."
Mr Smith from the C-F-M-E-U says the ban is only a first step.
He says the union will continue its campaign to ensure those who have been affected by the deadly disease will get the support that they need.
"There is more work to be done. We need to make sure that those workers who have unfortunately contracted silicosis through no fault of their own are adequately protected through the worker's compensation scheme in the various states and territories. We also need to make sure that this ban is robust enough to capture any future products that might harm workers through cutting or grinding stone products."
Dean Morris says he spends a lot of time worrying about his and his family's future.
"My kids, my family, I want to be able to provide for them, but I can't. And I'm worried. I may be, at some point, entitled to some form of compensation or whatever but I know I'm going to need constant reviews from specialists. I'm going to need counselling, mental counselling, seeing psychologists and yadda yadda, probably for the rest of my life, so there's going to be no support for me in that way. I get really concerned and worried, how am I going to be able to continue this lifestyle with no support."
