Victoria urges engineered stone alternatives ahead of 1 July ban

From 1 July, Victorian employers will be prohibited from manufacturing, supplying, processing or installing engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs. WorkSafe said the unacceptable risk to workers meant there would be no transitional period.

Businesses and consumers whose contracts cannot legally be fulfilled once the prohibition begins are being encouraged to discuss suitable replacement products and resolve disputes in good faith. Consumer Affairs Victoria can provide further information about building contracts and engineered stone.

WorkSafe Executive Director Health and Safety Narelle Beer said Victoria made no apologies for acting to protect workers from deadly silicosis. "The risk to our workers is simply too great to wait any longer to ban engineered stone so it's critical that builders and clients start having those conversations about alternative products as soon as possible."

Engineered stone installed before 1 July is not affected by the ban and does not present an ongoing health and safety risk to Victorian consumers. An exception will allow the removal, repair or modification of benchtops, panels and slabs installed in premises before that date. This work will not require licensing or notification to WorkSafe, but existing engineered stone controls and regulations for high-risk crystalline silica work will still apply.

Victorian Building Authority Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer Anna Cronin supported the measures. "While the removal of engineered stone is generally low risk in comparison to installation, demolishers and other practitioners working with existing installations need to be mindful of their obligations," Ms Cronin said. "This includes complying with current regulations to keep their workers and clients safe by minimising the health risks associated with crystalline silica dust."

Exemptions to the national prohibition granted by other jurisdictions in exceptional circumstances will not automatically apply in Victoria. Instead, Victoria will assess exemptions through its existing framework under the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations. Products classified as engineered stone will only be considered for use where compelling evidence shows they offer an equivalent level of health and safety to not using them.

Attempts to deliberately evade the prohibition by rebranding engineered stone as a different product will face strong compliance and enforcement action.

Until the prohibition starts on 1 July, duty holders must continue meeting Victoria’s current regulations. This includes the requirement for all businesses working with engineered stone to hold a licence.

How Blue Safe can help: Our free WHS self-check can help you review your business’s WHS responsibilities and identify areas that may need closer attention as requirements change. Take the free WHS self-check