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Working with engineered stone in Victoria
All work involving the manufacture, supply, processing, and installation of engineered stone benchtops, panels, and slabs with 1% or more crystalline silica content is now prohibited.
Controlled processing may still be carried out on legacy engineered stone, provided that appropriate control measures are in place.
This information is applicable in Victoria only.
HIA has the following materials available for members working in other jurisdictions:
Working with legacy engineered stone in ACT
Working with legacy engineered stone (applicable to NSW, Queensland, NT, WA, SA and Tasmania)
What is ‘engineered stone’?
Engineered stone is an artificial product that contains 1% or more crystalline silica determined as a weight/weight (w/w) concentration and is created by combining natural stone materials with other chemical constituents such as water, resins or pigments which then becomes hardened.
What is ‘legacy engineered stone’?
Legacy engineered stone is any engineered stone benchtop, panel, or slab that is already installed and, for the purposes of disposal, includes engineered stone stock that was not installed prior to the prohibition on 1 July 2024.
What is not ‘engineered stone’?
The definition of engineered stone excludes the following products:
- concrete and cement products
- bricks, pavers, and other similar blocks
- ceramic wall and floor tiles
- sintered stone that does not contain resin
- porcelain products that do not contain resin
- roof tiles
- grout, mortar, and render
- plasterboard
- a product determined not to be engineered stone by WorkSafe
Finished engineered stone products (such as jewellery, garden ornaments, sculptures, kitchen sinks) which are not benchtops, panels, or slabs and which do not require processing or modification are not banned.
Permitted work with legacy engineered stone
The engineered stone prohibition does not apply to work that involves controlled processing of legacy engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs if the work is carried out:
- to remove, repair or make modifications to installed engineered stone, or
- to dispose of engineered stone whether installed or not, or
- is controlled (see controlled processing below).
Exemption for re-installation of engineered stone
A legacy engineered stone benchtop, panel or slab may be temporarily removed to enable its repair or modification, or to enable work on other structures around it, provided it is re-installed in the same location from which it was removed. This exemption also allows for the necessary repair work to be carried out at another location where more effective risk control measures are available.
For example, a legacy engineered stone benchtop may be removed from a domestic premises and transported to a stonemason’s workshop where an employee can use an isolated automated wet machine for the work. However, the benchtop must only be re-installed in the same location of the domestic premises from which it was removed. Legacy engineered stone that has been removed cannot be installed in a different location.
What is an ‘engineered stone process’?
An engineered stone process is any process involving engineered stone that generates crystalline silica dust, including cutting, grinding and abrasive polishing of engineered stone.
You do not need a licence to work with legacy engineered stone, however any work undertaken must be treated as high risk crystalline silica work (HRCSW) and is subject to control requirements for HRCSW. You must:
- prepare a crystalline silica hazard control statement (hazard control statement) before the work commences and keep a copy of the hazard control statement for the duration of the HRCSW;
- ensure the work is performed in accordance with that hazard control statement;
- stop the work work if the work is not performed in accordance with the hazard control statement and not resume the work until the hazard control statement is complied with or is reviewed and revised as necessary; and
- review and revise that hazard control statement as required by the regulations; and
- provide employees and job applicants with specific information, instruction and training about the health risks of exposure to crystalline silica dust and details of control measures, including the need for and proper use of the power tool or mechanical plant they will be using and the use, fit, maintenance and storage of RPE.
A safe work method statement can be used as a silica hazard control statement if it includes the information required by the regulations to be contained in the crystalline silica hazard control statement.
Control measures
In addition to the prescribed requirements for HRCSW, all processing of legacy engineered stone benchtops, panels or slabs requires that:
- Control measures must be implemented to eliminate risks, or if not reasonably practicable, minimise risks, arising from the processing of engineered stone, so far as is reasonably practicable.
- If a power tool or other mechanical plant is used to undertake an engineered stone process it must be used with at least one of the following systems:
- An integrated water delivery system that complies with the regulations or
- an on-tool dust extraction system that is commercially available and is connected to:
- a Dust Class H Vacuum; or
- another system that captures any dust generated by the use of the power tool or mechanical plant; or
- if it is not reasonably practicable to use the systems referred to above, a local exhaust ventilation (LEV) system.
- Employers must ensure employees involved with an engineered stone process is provided with and uses respiratory protective equipment (RPE) while work is being carried out. RPE must comply with AS/NZS 1716:2012.
- Dust control systems must be designed, installed, used and maintained to eliminate or reduce risk of exposure to crystalline silica dust so far as is reasonably practicable.
- Compressed air or gas must not be used to clean work areas or clothing unless it does nor result in a concentration of respirable crystalline silica that exceeds the exposure standard for respirable crystalline silica.
Disposal of legacy engineered stone
There are no licensing requirements for the disposal of engineered stone products in Victoria. Existing requirements for disposing of industrial waste apply.
More information
To find out more, contact HIA's Contracts and Compliance team
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