At Dream Doors Kitchen (DDK), we take the safety of everyone in our network seriously from our suppliers to our team and customers. There have been recent reports about Caesarstone’s engineered stone products and their connection to silicosis in stonemasons and construction professionals. We wanted to provide clarity on what we are doing to make sure that the health and wellbeing of our network remains a top priority given that Caesarstone is one of our national suppliers.
According to experts, engineered or quartz stone benchtops are safe in their solid form. That means that there is no cause for concern if you have a Caesarstone product in your home or have been considering its installation.
Caesarstone has made several statements in response to the recent reports. These statements explain that silica is only dangerous when released as dust during fabrication and inhaled as a result of poor safety practices. DDK Australia acknowledges the tragedy of the young stonemasons and other members of the wider construction industry who have been exposed to silica dust and have contracted silicosis. No one should get sick or die from simply doing their job.
Because of this fact, Caesarstone has always advocated for safe practices in the engineered stone industry. Their products are sold to stonemasons and companies like us in slab form and accompanied with strict product handling and safety guidelines. They insist on the use of masks, ventilation, air monitoring, and ‘wet cutting.’ Additionally, all Caesarstone fabricators, therefore all the fabricators DDK use, must pass a ‘Masters of Stone’ qualification to ensure awareness of these procedures and compliance with safety standards.
We support the work they have done to establish safe practices, along with their calls for industry leaders, regulators and politicians to come together to create nationwide protocols that create strong safety precedents for stonemasons and construction professionals.
At DDK, you can be assured that our construction teams are following all regulatory guidelines and taking the necessary steps to prioritise their health. We thank our customers for their continued faith in us as we do our bit to establish a safe industry with the working conditions people deserve.
If you want to hear more from Caesarstone, please refer to the resources below: