Bunnings' move to phase out engineered stone hailed by silicosis victim
Ben Harrison's health continues to deteriorate after he was exposed to high volumes of unsafe silica dust at work.
A stonemason who developed terminal lung disease after exposure to silica dust at work has praised Bunnings' decision to stop selling benchtops that have been linked to causing the disease.
But an expert says much more needs to be done to prevent further diagnoses in workers.
On Tuesday, Bunnings announced a range of engineered stone would be removed from all stores by the end of the year after their high silica content was associated with the onset of silicosis — an incurable disease caused by inhaling unsafe levels of silica dust.
Ben Harrison, who was diagnosed with silicosis four years ago resulting in a "life sentence", welcomed the news.
"Honestly I'm just pleased it's a step in the right direction," the dad of three told Yahoo News Australia but admitted the decision would do little to help his declining health. "They could have been leaders in their field, it's been in the news for a while now how bad these products are."
Unions support ban of silica-based products
The decision from Bunnings — which was closely followed by Ikea — comes after a Safe Work Australia report concluded an immediate ban was the only advisable option since working with such products exposed tradies to "unacceptable risk".
Unions have embraced the news with open arms, with the National Construction Union petitioning for retailers to make this change for months.
Although the progress has been widely praised, some have questioned why it has taken so long for retailers to take action given silica-based products have been long linked to silicosis, and many tradies have already had their lives irreversibly impacted.
'Public opinion' pushed retailers to prioritise worker health, expert says
Dr Renee Carey led a study into the dangers of working with silica-based products last year and her research predicted as many as 10,000 Aussies would develop lung cancer due to silica dust exposure.
She favours the change actioned by large retailers this week but believes it took immense public scrutiny to force these large companies to take action.
"I think they're going with public opinion," the Senior Research Fellow from Curtin University told Yahoo News Australia. "It's become clear that this is the direction it's going to go and they have made a proactive move, but I think it's very much because they feel like they had to do it."
Carey advocates for a nationwide ban on silica products, believing the federal government needs to get on board.
"We really need this move by government and by the ministers to ban it in total, we need a concerted effort by the federal government to ban it across Australia... that's where the momentum is going," she said.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
