The tragic deaths of two young tradespeople has sparked a major safety alert as they developed a deadly lung disease after installing a popular kitchen worktop.
Silicosis is a devastating lung condition that comes from inhaling toxic silica dust, which is produced when cutting man-made stone like quartz. The risk can usually be negated by following proper safety measures, with the UK’s Health and Safety Watchdog now issuing new advice to those who come into contact with the substance regularly. The risk has increased in recent months as homeowners snap up the engineered stone slabs for their home refurbishments.
Back in November, father-of-three Marek Marzec, 48, died in a London hospital bed after the condition tore up his lungs. He was given just weeks to live after spending years cutting the kitchen worktops. Tragically, his life could have been saved but the silicosis had left him so unwell that he couldn’t undergo a potentially life-saving lung transplant. Speaking to the i Paper from his hospital bed, he called the dust “lethal” and complained of “appalling” work conditions that led him to his deathbed.
Marek just days before his death
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Image:
Courtesy Leigh Day / SWNS)
Marzec’s death followed that of Wessam al Jundi, 28, who died in hospital in May while waiting for a lung transplant in what is believed to be the first confirmed death from silicosis in a UK engineered stone worker, reports the Daily Record.
Rob Miguel, national health and safety adviser at Unite the Union previously called the the global artificial stone silicosis outbreak a “tragedy,” adding “there is no need for high-silica stone use in the UK”.
The developments have moved the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to issue the first official guidance related to the man-made stone. The body has warned employers to stop workers from breathing in the toxic silica dust.
The new HSE guidance, issued on Tuesday (January 7), warns that engineered stone must be installed by competent staff following effective processes, along with releasing pre, on-site and post-installation requirements. The plan has not appeased certain bodies like the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and United the Union, who are calling for an outright ban on engineered stone. The TUC said doing so would “prevent hundreds of deaths “.
Silicosis is a long-term and incurable lung disease with at least 18 UK cases so far identified, the youngest in a man aged just 24. The symptoms of silicosis usually take many years to develop, and you may not notice any problems until after you’ve stopped working with silica dust, according to the NHS. The symptoms can also continue to get worse, even if you’re no longer exposed.
The main symptoms of silicosis are a persistent cough, persistent shortness of breath, and weakness and tiredness. If the condition continues to get worse, these symptoms may become more severe. Some people may eventually find simple activities such as walking or climbing stairs very difficult and may be largely confined to their house or bed. The condition can ultimately be fatal if the lungs stop working properly (respiratory failure) or serious complications develop.