Criminal investigations could be launched into companies that employed a stonemason who died from silicosis after cutting popular kitchen worktops.
Marek Marzec, 48, died on 30 November just weeks after speaking to The i Paper from his London hospital bed, where he was receiving end-of-life care for the deadly lung disease.
The father-of-three wanted to warn about the dangers of cutting engineered stone quartz countertops without proper safety measures, and described working in a “tornado” of dust in the factories he was employed in.
Mr Marzec’s death is the second known fatality from silicosis among engineered stone workers in the UK as concern grows over rising numbers of young men falling ill after inhaling dust from cutting the high-silica slabs.
Workplace watchdog the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has opened an investigation into Mr Marzec’s death and said it has informed the Metropolitan Police of the case.
The HSE can pursue criminal prosecutions against a business or individual if they find health and safety regulations have been seriously breached.
Marek Marzec died on 30 November at the Whittington Hospital, where he was receiving end of life care for silicosis (Photo: Supplied)Police may assist a joint investigation if it is believed a serious criminal offence has been committed and would be likely to lead enquiries in a case of suspected corporate or gross negligence manslaughter.
It is understood that while the HSE’s enquiries could lead to a criminal investigation, they are at an early stage and no formal decisions have been made.
Quartz has soared in popularity among homeowners having kitchen refurbishments in recent years.
But its rise has been blamed on new outbreaks of an aggressive form of silicosis, an occupational disease that has afflicted workers in industries like mining or construction for decades.
Mr Marzec, who was diagnosed with silicosis in April, spent 12 years in London and Hertfordshire workshops cutting engineered stone slabs, and described working in “dangerous” conditions surround by “lethal dust”.
His lawyers at Leigh Day have launched legal action against three companies he was employed by, where he alleges he was exposed to high levels of toxic dust that is likely to have led to his diagnosis.
Speaking in October, he said: “Because of the work I did cutting quartz worktops, I have been left unable to breathe and in terrible pain,
“I cannot tell you how angry I am that I was allowed to work in these conditions and that my life has been cut short simply for doing my job.”
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Read MoreIn a warning to the industry, and to fellow workers, he also called for action to be taken to clampdown on unsafe working practices, such as dry cutting without water to suppress dust and lack of PPE and dust extraction tools.
“I am not the only person whose life has been put at risk by this lethal dust. It is time for urgent action to stop these dangerous working conditions I had to face before other stone workers contract this terrible disease and die,” Mr Marzec said.
He died in the Whittington Hospital from respiratory failure due to silicosis.
Following his death, his sister, Monika Woźniak, paid tribute to a “beloved father and brother who will be missed by all of us”.
She said: “The family and I are all very saddened by the death of Marek, who fought so bravely in the face of his diagnosis – as well as for future victims of this terrible condition – by speaking out to the media about engineered stone and the appalling conditions in which he worked.
“We are proud of the legacy he has left by speaking up for the victims of silicosis.”
In July, Australia became the first country in the world to ban engineered stone after hundreds of stonemasons were diagnosed with silicosis from cutting manmade quartz
Most workers who developed the condition were under 35 and face a faster disease progression and higher mortality rate compared with workers who contract silicosis from natural stone, such as in mining.
Almost 200 cases have occurred in California since 2019, the majority Latino migrants, of whom at least 13 died. There have also been outbreaks in other countries, including Spain and Israel.
In the UK, there have been at least 18 cases linked to engineered stone diagnosed since last year, with a recent doctors’ study of the first eight workers finding their average age was 34.
The youngest so far is 24, and most, including Malik Al-Khalil, 31, a Syrian refugee The i Paper spoke to from his hospital bed, have been migrants working in small workshops.
Another man, Wessam Al Jundi, 28, died in May at Harefield Hospital while waiting for a lung transplant after contracting silicosis following five years cutting quartz in workshops.
A senior coroner has issued a rare Prevention of Future Death report before an inquest into Mr al Jundi’s death.
Lydia Brown demanded a “timetable for action” from the HSE, the Department of Health and the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government over the dangers of engineered – or artificial stone.
The corner said evidence from photographs and a statement made by Mr al Jundi before his death suggest he was working in “completely unsafe conditions to avoid dust exposure”.
Coroner Ms Brown said: “In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths could occur unless action is taken.”
The coroner set a 23 December deadline for responses, which must contain details of action taken or proposed to be taken or an explanation as to why none is proposed.
A HSE spokesperson said: “Our sympathies are with the family and friends of Marek Marzec at this time.
“We are making enquiries into his death and can confirm the Metropolitan Police has also been informed.”
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