On 1st of July 2024 the supply, installation and manufacture of engineered stone like quartz was banned in Australia – a decision that has caused shock waves across the globe within the stone industry and beyond. The reason for the ban is the very real risk to the health of stone fabricators, working with quartz slabs, caused by silica dust.
Stone work surface fabricators work with a range of materials including granite, marble, ceramics and quartz. All of these materials contain silica – granite and marble usually range from between 5 and 40% silica whereas some quartz contains up to 95% silica making it particularly dangerous if not dealt with correctly.
Silicone dioxide (aka silica) is a mineral which is found all around us in nature including in sand, clay and even water. Silica exists in different forms and quartz is the most common form of crystalline silica. Crystalline silica is extremely hard with a high melting point making it an ideal ingredient for hard wearing kitchen work surfaces. The particles of dust however that are created when crystalline silica is cut or drilled are small enough to be inhaled (this is called respirable crystalline silica or RCS). When inhaled RCS causes damage to the lungs and can lead to a range of different diseases including silicosis – as such this is a very serious issue for everyone working in the stone industry.
Following the ban of quartz in Australia many manufacturers are working on the production of lower silica quartz alternatives – as well as non-crystalline silica options – but how fabricators in our industry deal with the dangers is of key importance. There are many measures used to protect the safety of fabricators in our industry and these are constantly monitored and improved, including:
- Wet cutting: All of our slabs are wet cut on bridge saws which prevents airbourne dust.
- Water wall: Our fabrication workshop is fitted with a water wall to capture any dust at the source that is created during the fabrication process.
- Housekeeping: Our workshops are regularly washed down with water to prevent the build up of dust
- Personal protective equipment: All of the team are provided with high quality dust masks and trained on their proper use.
The answer to the question ‘is quartz dangerous?’ is therefore both yes and no. Quartz surfaces do not pose any threat to a homeowner when in situ in their kitchen but the cutting and polishing of quartz surfaces by stone fabricators can be hazardous. We love to install beautiful and practical quartz surfaces for our clients and as a company we are also committed to actively finding new solutions and ways of working that ensure that our team are safe.