The experts looking into UK silicosis cases visited 2 Worktop Fabricators Federation (WFF) members on Monday 12th August, to see for themselves what measures HSE-compliant fabricators have in place to ensure safe cutting and polishing of engineered stone.
Dr Johanna Feary from the Royal Brompton in London, Professor Martie van Tongeren from Manchester University, and Mike Slater from the British Occupational Hygiene Society met with representatives from Granite Tops in the morning, and Granite House in the afternoon.
Wet-cutting, extraction, water recycling, sludge removal, and hand-finishing were all explained, and equipment from bridge-saws to air-handling units were also covered to give the experts a real understanding of modern worktop manufacturing processes, and the various solutions WFF members have put in place to keep their workers safe from occupationally acquired silicosis.
“It was hugely useful to get both sets of experts face to face,” said WFF’s Chris Pateman, who facilitated the meeting. “Ideas came out in conversation that might never have arisen if we had stayed in our respective bubbles. The idea of preventative CAT scans, instead of retrospective X-rays, for example, is something only a medical expert with access to NHS resources could consider.
“This was a really useful next step in WFF’s engagement with the academics. Despite what the newspapers might want us to believe, we are all on the same side here: nobody wants to see our workers put at risk, and everyone wants the safest possible industry.”
