Sourcing Materials and Labor Ethically
dan_saa
| Posted in Green Products and Materials on
Ethical use of Engineered Stone
Seeing this, wondering if it is ethical to specify a product that the industry is known to not ensure protection for the workers fabricating/installing? As a designer can I mitigate that by calling for the GC to only hire subcontractors who will provide proper protection and ensure workers use it?
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-12-13/engineered-stone-ban-discussed-at-ministers-meeting/103224362
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I saw this news article. I'm glad they are protecting the workers, but I didn't see anything about how the fabrication of natural stones compared to the engineered stone. Since their standard seems to be zero exposure to silica dust is safe, then natural stones are also as dangerous as engineered stone, along with fiber cement, regular cement, etc.
With silica being present in almost all stone and cement materials, it seems like a better solution would be to enforce proper PPE usage and dust mitigation measures. This could be through a variety of means such as government subsidized PPE for those industries, free training on proper procedures, mandatory dust control systems, and hefty fines to the companies for not following these guidelines (using an anonymous worker reported system with monetary bonus to the worker who reports violations). Obviously this only helps the workers within the countries that are concerned about this and doesn't help the workers in the countries where the stone is mined or manufactured.
Some of the sidebar articles on the AU site (from link above) were about silicosis cases for miners and for quarry workers (one article was about a quarry admin with silicosis), and there seem to be a lot of proposed regulations aimed at multiple industries.
I infer that it's easier to nationally ban a kitchen/bath material than it is a much more universal and widespread material like concrete, etc.
It would be interesting to know if James Hardie is in the crosshairs, being a AU-based company who makes fiber cement with known silica exposure, and that already had multi-billion dollar asbestos payouts in AU.
Interestingly, Brian Pontolilo shared this article, Children Risk Their Lives Building America’s Roofs, today, saying to our team: “This is an important story related to the work we do.” To which I responded after reading about this terribly upsetting situation: “Where do you even get started tackling an issue that multifaceted?”
>To which I responded after reading about this terribly upsetting situation: “Where do you even get started tackling an issue that multifaceted?”
When the question is posed as something that can be solved by consumers making conscientious choices, your response is the one that the person posing the question is seeking to evoke. Since the problem is seen to be unsolvable, there's no point in trying to solve it.
The problem is solvable, but not through individual choice. Government regulation works.
And then saw this same day: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-12-14/silicosis-rules
> (engineered stone) is made of crushed stone bound together with resin and can have
> silica levels exceeding 93% — much higher than in marble or granite
>Georgia Tech researchers, for instance, found that wet methods and ventilation did
>not bring silica levels below the exposure limit when workers were cutting engineered stone.
>The Silica Safety Coalition, which represents manufacturers, fabricators and others in
>the industry, also applauded the rules, saying they “will enable Cal/OSHA to
>swiftly take action against non-compliant fabricators.”
Gee, I wonder if they somehow knew about the dangers for years/decades and turned a blind eye?
As an individual, you can just avoid using "Quartz" or engineered stone. There are other options out there: Granite, Marble, Concrete, and even non-stone options for countertops.
If you want to talk about an actual "green" option, it's probably laminate or wood. Although stone can last a lifetime or more, the reality is the kitchen will be renovated before the stone has paid off its "environmental debt".
PaperStone and Richlite seem like additional options to add to the list, although pricey.
Thought I would share this piece by GBA contributor Lloyd Alter on the topic: Australia Bans Engineered Stone.
I think that link is broken somehow; the link only contains a post edit URL that doesn't redirect anywhere external.
Here's a link to Lloyd's article: https://lloydalter.substack.com/p/counter-intelligence-australia-bans. (His Substack is worth supporting! Frequent, high-quality posts that aren't cross-posted on GBA.)