Deadly Dust: Engineered Stone Blamed for Incurable Lung Disease Ravaging Young Workers

In November 2025, a troubling trend is emerging in the UK's construction industry. Gareth Burns, a 46-year-old former tradesman, is one of a growing number of young workers being struck down by an incurable lung disease triggered by their jobs.

Just over three years ago, Gareth was diagnosed with silicosis after starting work making trendy quartz worktops for posh kitchens. Doctors warn that the fine silica dust generated when cutting or polishing these engineered stone surfaces can destroy lungs in a matter of years, leaving victims like Gareth struggling for every breath.

Gareth is not alone. Doctors are now treating dozens of mostly men in their 20s and 30s whose lungs are already permanently scarred from toxic silica exposure. The youngest patient is just 23 and desperately awaiting a lung transplant. Tragically, at least two British workers have already died from the condition.

Gareth and grieving families are now urgently calling for the UK government to ban engineered stone, fearing an impending "epidemic" of silicosis cases if action is not taken. They warn that without proper ventilation and protection, the fine silica dust can cling to clothing, putting workers' families at risk too.

With Australia already banning the material after 500 stonemasons were diagnosed, experts say the UK must learn from this disaster unfolding around the world. For Gareth, it's a race against time as his lungs rapidly deteriorate, leaving him constantly breathless and fearing he won't see his family grow up. His story is a tragic warning of the deadly cost of this "new asbestos" if urgent action is not taken.