Stone benchtops are a common feature in kitchens across Australia. But few people know about the risks involved to the tradespeople preparing these benchtops.
Kevin Badenoch, 50, has worked as a stonemason for over 18 years. He now suffers from two permanent conditions – silica-related scleroderma, which affects his fingers, and silica-related lymphadenopathy, which is enlarged lymph nodes caused by exposure to silica dust.
