It's been hailed as a world-first measure designed to save thousands of lives from the deadly lung disease "silicosis". But while the ban on engineered stone has been broadly welcomed, some say the six-month deadline is too fast, and will have unintended consequences.
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00:00 Elliot Renshaw has worked as a stonemason in Hobart for more than 20 years.
00:07 I don't have silicosis, whether that's just luck or fate.
00:17 But many others haven't been as fortunate, and a surge in the deadly lung disease has triggered a national ban on engineered stone,
00:25 a popular product used in kitchens and bathrooms that can release dangerous silica dust when cut.
00:32 Probably the best thing that's come from this ban is the fact that once we move away from the engineered stone,
00:37 it takes out an element of that risk and worry.
00:40 The ban is supposed to begin on the 1st of July next year,
00:44 meaning consumers will have to rely on alternatives like porcelain, granite and marble.
00:49 But some say the six-month time frame will be hard to meet.
00:53 We manage it as fast as we can, but we don't put undue pressure on business.
00:58 We don't want to see these decisions be the tipping point for business owners.
01:03 The Tasmanian government agrees and isn't guaranteeing it'll have the ban in place by mid-year.
01:09 We'll be looking at this holistically. We don't want to see job losses,
01:12 but we also don't want to see people who are working in our construction industry with health issues or indeed losing their lives.
01:21 You need to implement this ban. Workers' lives depend on it.
01:24 This is not a matter to play politics on.
01:27 While some in the industry are concerned about potential job losses and supply chain issues,
01:33 medical experts are warning that any delay in implementing the ban will have fatal consequences.
01:39 They'll have an increased risk of developing silicosis or lung cancer as a result of that.
01:43 So we should be stopping this as soon as we can.
01:47 A ban that can't come soon enough for those most at risk.
01:51 Risk.
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