UK must brace for ‘rapid rise’ in killer lung disease from inhaling ‘next asbestos’ linked to kitchen worktops

BRITAIN is acceptable for a accelerated emergence successful slayer lung illness cases successful young radical linked to trendy room worktops, experts person warned.

The first decease and cases of silicosis among men who person worked with an artificial stone person been reported successful the UK this year.

Victims make terrible scarring and injuries successful the lungs from inhaling particulate portion moving with worldly containing tons of silica.

Andrew Cooper, a spouse astatine Leigh Day, is representing the archetypal UK patients diagnosed with silicosis aft moving with the stone.

He told The Sun: "We sadly deliberation it's precise apt that we're going to spot a important summation successful cases going forward, based connected countries similar Australia."

High-silica artificial stone, besides known arsenic quartz oregon engineered stone, has been banned successful Australia aft being labelled 'modern-day asbestos' owed to hundreds of suspected cases.

The fake chromatic is inactive increasing successful popularity successful the UK for room and bath renovations arsenic it mimics marble oregon granite astatine a little cost.

Speaking to The Sun, Dr Johanna Feary, advisor successful occupational lung illness astatine Royal Brompton Hospital, echoed Andrew's fears.

“We saw our archetypal confirmed lawsuit of silicosis owed to artificial chromatic successful the UK successful 2023," she said.

"This twelvemonth we person seen a dependable summation successful the fig of cases which is of large concern.

"Sadly astatine slightest 1 idiosyncratic had died to date.

"You tin person the illness without having immoderate symptoms and we expect that determination volition beryllium galore much cases coming guardant successful the future.”

Just 16 months ago, Leigh Day hadn't ever seen a azygous lawsuit of stone-related silicosis successful the UK.

Since then, the fig of lawsuits they've taken connected related to the unwellness has reached treble figures.

"What's truly concerning is that astir of these men are lone successful their 20s and 30s, and they're being near with superior disabilities truthful aboriginal successful life," Andrew explained.

He believes young workers are much susceptible due to the fact that they often bash astir of the dense manual labour successful workshops, which includes cutting and handling artificial stones.

Reflecting connected the health of his clients, the lawyer said, "Some of these men person terrible respiratory disabilities and request round-the-clock oxygen therapy.

"This means they person to transportation oxygen canisters astir with them everyplace to breathe.

"But the important breathlessness tin marque it hard to locomotion oregon adjacent walk.

"We've besides got clients who person been successful infirmary receiving end-of-life care".

Men are dying

Marek Marzec is 1 of these men who are already dying from silicosis brought connected by years of cutting room worktops.

For the 48-year-old dad, the illness has progressed to specified an precocious signifier that doctors person fixed him conscionable weeks to live.

Wessam al Jundi, 28, died successful May 2024, 5 days aft being admitted for a lung transplant owed to terrible lung disease, according to a Prevention of Future Death study seen by inews.

He was exposed to toxic silica particulate portion cutting engineered chromatic slabs successful a London store from 2016 and diagnosed 5 years later.

Earlier this year, Malik Al-Khalil, 28, contracted silicosis aft 5 years of cutting quartz worktops successful London.

He told inews that doctors had warned him helium could dice aft falling earnestly sick with the lung disease.

Leigh Day is calling for amended information measures, similar bully PPE, to beryllium enforced and enactment successful spot successful workshops to ward disconnected an asbestos-style lung illness epidemic successful craftsmen.

They're besides calling for silicosis triggered by cutting stones to beryllium recognised arsenic a ceremonial illness truthful that patients tin beryllium fast-tracked and treated effectively.

A caller survey recovered that chromatic workers developed acute silicosis, causing terrible breathlessness and disability, with lung transplants often being the lone treatment.

Unfortunately, immoderate patients - similar Marek - are excessively unwell by the clip they person attraction to acquisition specified an operation.

Experts person besides called for a prohibition connected quartz kitchens and bathrooms to ward disconnected an asbestos-style lung illness epidemic successful craftsmen.

In the UK, room companies person besides constricted income of engineered chromatic worktops.

However, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has stated that it is not readying immoderate restrictions, opting alternatively to absorption connected promoting safe-cutting practices.