A recent ABC News article titled “Silicosis death of Anthony White sparks calls for action to address ‘nationwide epidemic'” addressed the tragic death of a Gold Coast stonemason from this disease.

It is an insidious disease, caused by inspiring the crystalline silica found in manufactured stone bathroom and kitchen benchtops.

While manufactured stone fittings such as these have gained in popularity relatively recently, the disease has long been recognised as a problem, the origin of the word “silicosis” having been traced back to 1870, with the disease itself having been recognised much earlier than that, in Greek and Roman times.