Today’s guidance marks our most significant intervention in the engineered stone sector to date, and not without good reason.
Silicosis is incurable, but it is entirely preventable. No worker should lose their life to a lung disease caused by their job, and that is why we have taken this action.
We have spent the past two years conducting extensive research and industry engagement to understand the scale of this risk. What we found was stark. Many businesses are not putting the right controls in place, they are still using engineered stone with high silica content, and dry cutting, which must stop.
To every employer in this sector: the guidance is now published, the expectations are clear, and our inspectors are coming. Those who are cutting corners are not just putting their workers at risk — they are undercutting the businesses doing things properly. We will create a level playing field.
Mike Calcutt, Deputy Director in HSE’s Engagement and Policy Division
