Silica Free Stone and Safety
The stone industry is evolving, driven by the Federal Government’s ban on crystalline silica in engineered stone benchtops. Learn about the changes and how we are ensuring customer and staff safety.
Introducing Zero* Crystalline Silica Benchtops
The Future or Engineered Stone
As global leaders in innovative home renovation solutions, we have always strived to set industry benchmarks when it comes to a safe environment for our employees, our installers and our customers.
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Following the Australian Federal Government’s decision to ban engineered stone containing crystalline silica from 1 July 2024, we want to reassure you of our commitment to safety, quality, and our ongoing innovation of cutting-edge, thin, light-weight surfaces.
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We want to address any concerns or confusion arising from these recent decisions. Rest assured, your Granite Transformations’ surfaces are entirely safe in your home or business. The potential exposure to crystalline silica occurs during fabrication, not in your installed surface.
Zero Crystalline Silica
Compliant with the Federal Government Regulations Aimed at Fostering a Safer Working Environment.
Safety
As Global Renovation Innovators, Safety for Our Employees, Installers, and Customers Is Paramount.
Innovation
Maintaining Our 28-Year Legacy as Home Makeover Pioneers, Innovation Remains a High Priority.
Warranty
Our warranty covers our workmanship for seven years, and 10 years for materials.
A Seamless Transition
As of 1st July, our existing stone surfaces will undergo a transformation to a new formulation, proudly containing zero* crystalline silica. Our new range maintains the same colours our customers love, and the unmatched durability that has made our stone a staple in over a million homes.
Rest assured, if you have our existing stone in your home, it remains completely safe, and your 10-year warranty still stands.
FAQs
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What does the * mean?* ​Contains less than 1% crystalline silica, aligning with the Minister’s exception for engineered stone products with trace levels of crystalline silica (under 1%).
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If I have Granite Transformations’ engineered stone benchtops in my home, am I at risk?Once installed in homes, our surfaces pose no harm to consumers. The potential health risk is in the unsafe practices during the fabrication process.
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Can my existing Granite Transformations benchtop be repaired after 1 July 2024?Yes. Our 10-year warranty applies to all of our surfaces, regardless of any Government changes. Ministers have agreed to appropriate exceptions on the ban for activities such as repair, removal, minor modification, and disposal of engineered stone products installed prior to the prohibition (legacy products).
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How does the ban on engineered stone affect my order?In the transition period, from now until 1 July 2024, the sale and installation of Granite Transformations’ surfaces will continue. We can assure you it is completely safe. It is in the fabrication process where fabricators, if not following correct safety procedures, can be exposed to fine crystalline silica particles. Our existing range will soon transition to zero* crystalline silica.
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What are our current Granite Transformations surfaces made of?Our revolutionary light-weight surfaces are made of quartz, glass, polymers and other naturally occurring minerals. Measuring at only 7mm in thickness, our surfaces pose the least risk of all engineered stone surfaces in the market when it comes to the processing procedure. In most cases, our product is one third the thickness of other stone surfaces, immediately reducing any risk of dust exposure by this equivalent amount compared to other, thicker surfaces.
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What are Silica and Quartz?Quartz is the most common mineral on earth, and can take on many forms. It’s most commonly found as sand on our beaches, other examples are sandstone, marble and granite. These materials contain a number of things including Crystalline Silica, which is a compound of silicon and oxygen. Granite Transformations surfaces are made from natural materials that include crystalline silica, such as quartz, sand, and granite, which are then bound together with polymers and formed into slabs. Crystalline Silica is a component of many manufactured products in daily use, such as glass, pottery and quartz surfaces. Silica is very commonly used in construction and at various concentrations in bricks, blocks, tiles, slabs, cement and concrete.
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What is Silicosis?Silicosis is an occupational lung disease that has been known about for more than a century and associated with many industries, with engineered stone being one of them. It may affect workers who are exposed to crystalline silica (quartz) when not using the correct safety measures. The disease forms when silica dust particles become trapped in lung tissues, causing inflammation and scarring, and reducing the lung’s ability to take in oxygen. Silicosis and other diseases associated with respirable crystalline silica (RCS) are 100% preventable with the correct safety measures.
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How does Granite Transformations ensure the safety of workers in the stone industry?Due to the thickness of our slabs, combined with the use of H class vacuums and appropriate PPE, Granite Transformations boasts one of the safest methods when it comes to cutting and fabricating engineered stone. Following our Safe Operating Practices also allows us to be able to cut on-site without risk to the customer. Our workshops have conducted air monitoring testing, resulting in well below industry standard levels of respirable crystalline silica workplace exposure. Granite Transformations are proud to report that in the 28 years of operation no tradesmen have been affected by Silicosis.