Growing up, I always loved flipping through my dad’s catalogues showcasing sample slabs of stone benchtops.  
 
Like many other tradespeople, my dad has taken pride in helping people design beautiful kitchens. As a result, I spent a lot of time discussing all aspects of the industry, including the dangers of engineered stone.  
 
Cutting, drilling and grinding engineered stone emits silica dust. When workers inhale dust over an extended period, they can develop silicosis, which causes damage and scarring to the lungs. Due to scarring, lung flexibility is reduced, making breathing difficult. There is no cure.  
 
Following an Australian ban on engineered stone last year, debates in New Zealand have gained traction.  
 
Worksafe inspections of 102 stone fabrication businesses between June 2023 and October 2024 led to 131 enforcement action notices for 67 individual businesses. 
 
So there are problems in New Zealand as well. But bans are a very blunt instrument and should be reserved for extreme cases. Are there better approaches? 
 
New Zealand’s Accident Compensation Commission covers the cost of workplace accidents. It has pretty strong incentives to reduce those costs. Last year, ACC awarded a grant aimed at developing safer practices for dealing with engineered stone. ACC also runs an experience rating programme, rewarding businesses with low claims. 
 
ACC could also reasonably provide a modified experience rating programme for stone fabrication businesses, rewarding those who maintain safe workplaces.  
 
I pay a high premium on my car insurance because my age means I’m in a high-risk category. The same logic should apply to stone fabrication businesses issued with enforcement action notices.  
 
Evidence suggests that there is no safe level of silica dust exposure. But the dose generally makes the poison: risk increases with exposure.  
 
MBIE is consulting on workplace safety issues with engineered stone. If risky practices lead to high insurance premiums, and safer practices help reduce premiums, we may have a way of discovering better solutions rather than prescribing them centrally.  
 
While this area of research is not my primary focus at The New Zealand Initiative, it displays the approach I strive to bring to policy analysis. That being the promotion of market-based solutions informed through rigorous economic analysis, experience, and a recognition that state involvement is sometimes necessary.