Australia has made a world-first move to ban engineered stone due to a surge in workers developing the lung disease silicosis. The ban, agreed upon yesterday by all the workplace ministers across the country, will kick in from 1 July 2024. The popular benchtop alternative to granite and marble has been on the health radar since the first Aussie silicosis diagnosis linked to its use was reported in 2015. Supporters of the ban say it is a necessary measure to protect public health, but some say it won’t be a cakewalk for the construction industry despite home improvement retailers Bunnings and IKEA already walking away from engineered stone ahead of the ban.