Designers and builders across Australia are confident in their ability to comply with new regulations surrounding silica containing products including a ban on products which contain engineered stone, a new survey suggests.

But opinions vary about whether or not the ban was rushed.

During a recent series of industry breakfasts that were hosted by Housing Industry Association (HIA) across major capital cities, HIA Chief Economist Tim Reardon outlined the results of a national survey which HIA undertook of its membership. All up, more than 1,200 HIA members responded to the survey.

As part of the survey, respondents were asked about new regulations regarding silica containing products that came into effect last year.

These included a nationwide ban on the use of engineered stone – a material which had become widely used kitchen benchtops.

Encouragingly, the survey found that there is a high level of awareness about the new regulations.

Of those surveyed, almost all (98 percent) indicated that they had been aware of the new rules.

In addition, there is a high level of confidence regarding compliance with the new rules.

Among survey respondents, more than eight in ten are confident that alternative products which are being used do not contain silica.

Meanwhile, more than three quarters (77.3 percent) are highly satisfied with the quality of safety and technical data which is being provided by suppliers of alternative products.

The survey found that:

• Feelings surrounding the process of implementing the ban are mixed. When asked whether or not the ban was rushed and led to unnecessary cost increases, just over half (57 percent) of all survey respondents said yes whilst 40 percent indicated that this was not the case.
• There is a sense that customers largely do not know or care about the new rules. Among respondents, 58 percent indicated that customers do not know or care about the ban whilst 57 percent say that customers are not able to tell the difference between the quality and performance of different products. However, more than half of all respondents indicated that customers are prepared to accept a small compromise given the ban on engineered stone.

The survey comes as Australia implemented significant new rules in relation to working with products that contain silica last year.

Under the changes:

• From July 1, a complete ban on the manufacture, supply, processing and installation of products such as benchtops, panels or slabs which contain engineered stone came into effect. This made Australia the first jurisdiction in the world to ban engineered stone products.
• From September 1 stronger work, health and safety regulations came into effect in relation to all materials containing at least 1 percent crystalline silica content.

The change follow significant concern about the number of workers who were being diagnosed with silicosis – a deadly and incurable disease which is caused by inhaling silica dust.

Particular concern had surrounded those workers who are involved in the manufacturing of kitchen benchtops which contained engineered stone.

Commenting on the result, Reardon said that the relative split between those who were positive about the way in which the ban had been implemented and those who believed it had been poorly implemented was interesting.

He said it was possible that perspectives may have differed among survey respondents who own joinery businesses as opposed to those who design kitchens and bathrooms.

But he welcomed both the high levels of awareness with regard to the new ban along with the confidence regarding alternative products and product documentation.

“The industry is acutely aware of what has happened,” Reardon said.

“The good news is that the industry is very confident in the quality of the alternative product and is almost universally confident about the quality of technical and safety data that come with that.

“Well done to those in the industry who are responsible for that side of things.”

Speaking about the consumer awareness, meanwhile, Reardon said that many consumers were not aware of the new regulations.

In fact, consumer focus remained on other considerations such as the colour of the benchtop.

“It turns out that through all of the changes that the industry has gone through, the customers’ view are that they don’t care – they just want to know what the colour is,” Reardon said.

“That’s a consistent response. Despite doubling the cost of installing a benchtop, it is the colour that is most important for the end consumer.”

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