Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of workers exposed to respirable crystalline silica dust in the engineered stone sector.

Great Britain has a robust and well-established regulatory framework to protect workers from health risks arising from exposure to hazardous substances, including respirable crystalline silica under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. The right controls, including water suppression of dust and mist control, appropriate respiratory protective equipment and effective ventilation, can prevent exposure to respirable crystalline silica when processing engineered stone products.

The Health and Safety Executive has published guidance specifically for engineered stone processing, highlighting how employers can protect their workers from stone dust when hand processing, supported by the inspection campaign. Inspections of all workshops known to be cutting engineered stone are being undertaken by Health and Safety Executive inspectors this year to ensure that the obligations of duty holders to comply with that law, including in relation to employee health surveillance, are being enforced. Inspectors will be carrying out more than 1,000 inspections across the industry and where standards are not met, enforcement action is being taken.