Specialist manufacturer Lapitec has unveiled the world’s only 100% silica-free stone for kitchen and bathroom benchtops, representing the first completely safe alternative to existing stone materials on the Australian market.
The new Lapitec product is expected to play a key role in halting the rise in deadly silicosis among stonemasons and fabricators across Australia. Silicosis is a potentially fatal respiratory condition caused by fine silica particles released when engineered stone, porcelain and stone products containing silica are cut and shaped.
Against this backdrop, Lapitec has recently released its innovative new product in Australia representing the world’s first and only stone which is entirely free of crystalline silica (note: Lapitec has already been successfully used in Europe and the US for some years now).
“Fine crystalline-silica powders are dangerous to human health, particularly if inhaled when engineered stone, porcelain, ceramic and other stone products containing silica are cut for kitchen and bathroom benchtops without the recommended safety procedures being followed in full,” Lapitec Australia managing director Samuele Tosi says.
“Unfortunately many tradespeople have been exposed to the risk of silicosis by companies who have not adhered to the strict safety rules. But this risk can now be removed with the new Lapitec sintered stone which provides a safe alternative to existing stone and building products.”
The product, covered by 25 patents, is manufactured in Italy and has been under development for several years by Lapitec’s parent company, Breton. It features a unique mix of natural minerals completely free of silica, as well as free of any resins, inks or petroleum derivatives.
There is no safe level of exposure to engineered stone which has caused increasing deaths of Australian tradespeople from silicosis and other deadly dust diseases. Stringent safety procedures must be followed with stone, porcelain and other products.
The Construction, Forestry, Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) has been running its “Stop This Killer Stone” campaign, which calls for a ban on the use, manufacture and import of the deadly product for more than a year.
The union has been pushing federal, state and territory governments to act. The CFMEU will ban its members from using engineered stone from mid-2024 if there’s no ban in place by then.
Samuele said he hoped the development of Lapitec would play an important role in reducing the risks associated with silicosis in Australia.
“Tradespeople, as well as architects, designers and consumers will now be able to specify and install a stone product that is 100% safe and which provides better durability and strength compared to other stone products in the market. The new stone is also easy to maintain and is both scratch and stain resistant,” he says.
Lapitec has been fully tested by TestSafe Australia (the specialist chemical analysis branch of Safe Work Australia) and certified as free of any crystalline-silica or cristobalite, making it the only such product available in the world.
Furthermore, the European Commission (EC) and the European Organisation for Technical Assessment (EOTA) have created a new product category for sintered stone and recognised Lapitec as the first and only product in the world to meet all the EC requirements, thus obtaining the CE mark for the building category.
The latest Lapitec sintered stone range is ideal for homes and offices, featuring the best of Italian craftmanship and tradition. The product can be used for indoor and outdoor kitchens, benches and tabletops, bathrooms, ventilated facades, roofing, cladding, flooring, paving, spas, swimming pools, underwater installations, indoor and outdoor surfaces and custom furnishings.
The Lapitec range is available via selected distributors across Australia and New Zealand.
