Engineered stone products to be banned nationwide from July 1
A meeting of federal, state and territory ministers have signed off on a ban on engineered stone. Photo: AAP
Engineered stone will be banned across the country from next year after states and territories signed off on the measure to protect workers.
The ban will come into effect from July 1, following an agreement by workplace ministers at a meeting on Wednesday.
Engineered stone had been dubbed a modern-day asbestos, with workers who used the product often developing the incurable and deadly lung disease silicosis.
Engineered stone is commonly used in kitchen benchtops.
As part of the national ban, the federal government has indicated it would put in place a compulsory customs prohibition on engineered stone being imported to Australia.
The national ban was endorsed following a Safe Work Australia report, which was commissioned by workplace ministers, calling for a countrywide prohibition.
While such a ban was deemed in the report to be the most expensive option, it said it would protect workers from developing health conditions.
The CFMEU had previously said it would implement its own ban from July next year should the government not institute its own prohibition.
Hardware chains Bunnings and Mitre 10 said they would phase out selling the product.
-AAP