Imports of engineered stone which are popular in Australia for kitchens and bathrooms may be banned, unless employers protect workers from silica dust exposure.
A federal task force is saying that health and safety regulations do not properly protect workers from dust exposure, which is linked to the deadly lung disease silicosis.
The final report recently released stopped short of recommending an immediate ban on imports, but said that Australia should get ready to ban some or all product imports from July 2024 if there were not significant industry changes.