British Safety Council calls on UK Government to ban silica-containing materials

The call comes as new research British Safety Council has conducted with more than 2,000 workers reveals that nearly two-thirds are concerned about the risks which cutting stone containing silica poses to health.

Ahead of the launch of its new Hidden Hazards campaign, British Safety Council asked 2,104 workers across a range of sectors how concerned they were about a number of risks. 62% were concerned or very concerned about the risks posed by silica dust. At the same time, 16% reported having little to no knowledge about silica-related harms.

Exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust, released when workers cut materials like stone, concrete, brick, and engineered stone, leads to severe, irreversible respiratory diseases, including silicosis and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), as well as an increased risk of lung cancer. International evidence shows that, while exposure can be reduced through regulation, control and mitigation measures, these do not eliminate the risk.

British Safety Council is, therefore, calling on the UK Government to follow in the footsteps of Australia and ban high silica-containing stone products, with a phased transition to an outright ban within five years to allow UK industry and consumers to adapt.

During this time, the health and safety charity wants the Government to strengthen the current regulations by banning dry cutting, introducing mandatory competent-person sign-off for high-risk work, and tightening controls until high-silica engineered stone is no longer used within or exported from the UK. 

British Safety Council is also seeking to increase public awareness through its Hidden Hazards campaign, focusing on silica dust and other invisible risks that affect millions of workers, and push Government and others to prevent harm before it occurs.

Mike Robinson, chief executive of British Safety Council, said: “That beautiful quartz worktop in your kitchen may be costing more than you think. We want people to stop and think; is it worth killing the person who made it? Every cut, every drill, every grind releases dust so small you cannot see it. But once it reaches the lungs, the damage is permanent. These are not accidents, these are preventable deaths, so how many lives is a new kitchen worktop worth?

“Each year in the UK, around 500 workers die because of exposure to respirable crystalline silica. Workplace exposures are also linked to around 4,000 COPD deaths annually, with construction workers among the groups at risk. That is why we want to see high silica-containing products banned from coming into or leaving the UK within five years, with ever tighter regulations over that period. Stopping silicosis should be simple, provided the political and public will to save lives is there.”

British Safety Council says it does not believe that current HSE guidance goes far enough to keep the workers of today and tomorrow safe from a known risk. It would like to see the Government working with unions, consumers, retailers and industry to encourage behaviour change and phase out the use of products with high silica content, while establishing reliable alternatives and supply chains.

Click here for more information on British Safety Council’s policy calls on silica dust as well as more on the new Hidden Hazards campaign, and how to support it.