Unite Pushes Action on Silica Exposure

Unite Campaigning on Engineered Stone and Silica Exposure Reaches Parliament

On the 3rd of November our Unite Senior Safety Rep for BYLOR, visited Parliament alongside members of the National Committee for Construction and the National Officer Jason Poulter.

The APPG (All-Party Parliamentary Group), which is a cross-party group of MPs and Lords set up to discuss key issues and influence policy and legislation, focused on engineered stone, silica exposure and the lives already lost or permanently impacted from working with these materials.

Following campaigning and pressure from Unite and others, the HSE has now released new guidance on engineered stone and silica controls.

Find more here! Unite however still believes the guidance does not go far enough and is continuing to push for a full ban, similar to Australia, due to the serious health impacts and increasing cases of silicosis linked to engineered stone exposure.

The new guidance makes clear dry cutting is unacceptable, proper controls such as water suppression and RPE are required, and enforcement is increasing.

Often these workers are domestic fitters and there are little to no controls in place. If you know somebody who may be working with these materials, please encourage them to use the Unite solicitors Thompson silica register below. Not everyone has the same level of controls, protection and union support that we do on major projects.

Click here!

There is also an active Unite campaign calling for a full ban on engineered stone. The campaign is aimed at protecting future generations of workers from exposure to dangerous silica dust and pushing the government to take stronger action before more lives are lost.

SING THE PETITION TODAY!

This is a good example of trade unions influencing real change at national level on major health and safety issues.