Editor's Note
This editor’s note highlights the key facts and market implications behind “Australia Bunnings and Ikea to Stop Selling Engi”, with emphasis on sourcing, product fit, fabrication, logistics, or buyer impact.
Pressure is mounting for a nationwide ban on engineered stone, a popular kitchen benchtop material linked to the incurable lung disease silicosis. Two major hardware and home improvement chains have announced they will stop selling it.
Following hardware chain Bunnings' announcement that it will cease selling engineered stone kitchen benchtops, IKEA Australia has also declared it will phase out engineered stone products before government action is taken.
Key Points
After Bunnings announced it will stop selling engineered stone kitchen benchtops, IKEA Australia has also announced a phase-out of engineered stone products.
This kitchen benchtop material can cause lung damage known as silicosis, which can be fatal.
There have been ongoing calls to ban the material to protect up to 600,000 workers at risk.
Hardware giant Bunnings has announced it will stop selling a common kitchen benchtop material, and IKEA Australia has said it will phase out engineered stone products. The material is linked to the incurable lung disease silicosis.
IKEA Australia CEO Mirja Viinanen responded in writing to SBS News inquiries, stating that the company will "start phasing out engineered stone products from the local sales range before the government takes action."
“IKEA Australia works with suppliers to supply and install engineered stone benchtops. We work closely with these suppliers to ensure the highest safety standards for the environment and working conditions are followed.”
Bunnings merchandise director Jen Tucker said in a statement on Tuesday (November 14) that the company will stop selling engineered stone from December 31.
Bunnings said it currently offers only a limited range of engineered stone benchtops. The Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) hailed the move as a victory in the fight to ban the material.
When engineered stone is cut, polished, or sawed, dust particles are released into the air. Inhaling these particles can cause lung damage known as silicosis, which can be fatal.
A report from Safe Work Australia in October determined that high levels of silica dust pose an unacceptable risk to workers handling engineered stone products. The regulator recommended a complete ban.
Tucker said: "Based on the recent Safe Work Australia report and after consulting with our suppliers, we have decided to stop selling our current limited range of engineered stone benchtops from December 31, 2023."
She added that most benchtops sold at Bunnings stores are laminate and timber, and the company is "making good progress in finding alternative products."
CFMEU national secretary Zach Smith previously stated that Bunnings' announcement marked "the end of the line for engineered stone."
“Even this big company, which until now has put profits above workers’ lives, has acknowledged it has lost social license to sell this deadly stone. No government can avoid imposing a ban.”
Smith urged other retailers to follow Bunnings' lead, specifically naming IKEA. Subsequently, IKEA announced it would phase out engineered stone products across Australia.
Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke said in late October that state and territory departments would develop a nationally consistent response to the report's recommendations. However, state and federal governments have failed to reach a consensus on a national response.
New South Wales Industrial Relations Minister Sophie Cotsis confirmed that if a national consensus cannot be reached, the NSW government will consider banning engineered stone.
States and territories have already implemented regulations for handling engineered stone, but Safe Work Australia's report found that compliance with these regulations has been a persistent issue.
International manufacturer and distributor Caesarstone has called for a 40% lower limit on silica content in stone products. However, Safe Work Australia's report found no evidence that low-silica engineered stone poses less risk.
Unions have said they will ban their members from handling engineered stone if a national ban is not implemented.
Source: Read the original article | Published: November 15, 2023