Engineered Stone Regulations

The Hon. I. PNEVMATIKOS (14:25): My question is to the Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector. Will the minister inform the council about new regulations on the use of engineered stone?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (14:25): I would be most happy to. I thank the honourable member for her question and note the many decades the honourable member asking the question has in terms of protecting workers through her advocacy and legal practices.

As the member of the council would be aware, Australia is facing a concerning increase in the incidence of work-related silicosis associated with the use of engineered tabletop stone. Engineered stone contains crystalline silica and when processed through cutting and grinding, small particles of dust can be inhaled into the lungs and can cause permanent disability and death.

In 2021, the National Dust Disease Taskforce concluded that every case of silicosis affecting a stone benchtop worker is evidence that business, industry and government need to do more to recognise and control the risks of working with engineered stone. There is a significant national conversation occurring at the moment about how our policymakers should confront this issue, knowing what we know about the devastating impact particularly of materials like asbestos within the community. This is an issue that has been high on the agenda of commonwealth, state and territory work health and safety ministers.

Since the last commonwealth, state and territory work health and safety ministers' meeting earlier this year, Safe Work Australia has been undertaking a body of evidence-based work in advance of the next national meeting. The national meeting will consider the serious health and safety risks of engineered tabletop stone and I am optimistic that, after that meeting, there will hopefully be a clear national position on this issue; however, I have also made it clear that South Australia reserves the right to go it alone, in terms of further regulation, if that is supported by the evidence.

One immediate step the government has taken in advance of the next national meeting is the introduction of new regulations under the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 to ban the uncontrolled dry cutting of engineered stone.

These new regulations, which came into effect on the 1^st of this month, prohibit a person conducting a business or undertaking from directing or allowing a worker to process engineered stone without specific control measures in place; require that workers are provided with respiratory protective equipment designed to meet Australian standards; and require that the processing of engineered stone must be controlled using at least one dust suppressant system, including a water delivery system that supplies a continuous feed of water over the area being cut to suppress the generation of that dust and an on-tool extraction system or local exhaust or ventilation system.

These regulations are in line with recent changes to the national Work Health and Safety Regulations, which have also been put in place now in Victoria, Western Australia and the ACT. I am pleased to say these regulations have been widely supported by both those representing workers' trade unions and those representing the business community.

Recently, I was joined by representatives of SA Unions, the Master Builders Association, the Housing Industry Association, and the Australian Workers' Union when announcing these new regulations. This reflects the significant consensus across the industry and those who represent those who run businesses and work in the industry that the uncontrolled dry cutting of engineered stone is an unacceptable practice that puts the lives of workers at risk.

It was pleasing to see so many employer associations, particularly, join the government in taking a principled stand against this practice. I look forward in the future to working with industry stakeholders in progressing the reforms and looking at what further regulation may be needed.