175: PAUL FOOT 2026: CUTTING CORNERS

Reporter Joe Duggan was first alerted to the story by an industry contact who refused to work with engineered stone after it was banned in Australia. After contacting respiratory consultants across the UK, he found Dr. Jo Feary at Royal Brompton Hospital treating the country's first quartz silicosis patients. The story broke when government ministers incorrectly claimed there were no UK cases, despite Duggan already knowing of diagnosed patients.

• Engineered stone (quartz) has become the most popular material for kitchen worktops, cheaper than granite and marble but with much higher silica content (up to 95% versus 30% in granite)
• Workers are developing silicosis much younger and after shorter exposure periods than historical cases - sometimes after just 2-3 years versus the typical decades
• Over 50 workers have been diagnosed with silicosis since mid-2023, with at least 4 deaths, though the true number is likely significantly higher
• An estimated 7,000 workers are currently employed in the engineered stone industry in the UK

Engineered stone's popularity in home renovations masks its extreme danger to workers. The material can contain 95% silica compared to 30% in natural stones like granite and marble. When cut without proper safety measures, particularly wet cutting methods that suppress dust, workers are exposed to deadly silica particles that cause irreversible lung damage.

• Engineered stone is man-made and has become the most popular choice for kitchen worktops due to its attractive appearance and lower cost compared to granite and marble
• The silica content in engineered stone can reach 95%, far higher than granite and marble which contain around 30%
• Higher silica levels mean exponentially higher risk to workers cutting the material without proper protection
• Cutting silica releases dust that causes silicosis, an occupational lung disease historically associated with mining and construction