A stonemason is taking legal action against his former employer, alleging he had to quit his job to “save his life” after medical experts warned he had acquired silicosis after working unsafely with high-silica stone materials.
Ryan Fenton, 42, says he worked as a stonemason for worktop specialist in Ipswich between 2016 and 2024. According to Fenton, his job involved using an angle grinder to cut slabs, so the stone worktops could fit the dimensions of customers’ homes.
Fenton recalls that the work was “very dusty”, and says that although the employer – which kbbreview cannot name, for legal reasons – used extraction technology, it was “ineffective”.
In addition, he says that although he was encouraged to wear a mask by his employers, this wasn’t effective in stopping dust getting into his lungs, and the work often left his clothes, face and hair coated in dust.
In December 2022, Fenton suffered a transient ischaemic attack and was referred to specialists at the Royal Brompton Hospital. Doctors then diagnosed him with silicosis, and said that it was likely acquired as a result of his line of work.
Silicosis is a lung condition acquired by long-term exposure to silica dust. According to the NHS, the condition is currently believed to be incurable, and can cause a persistent cough, shortness of breath, and in some cases, prove fatal.
After his diagnosis, Fenton says doctors recommended he stop working with engineered stone to slow the progression of the disease. He has since begun a job in adult social care, saying he felt that he had to give up his former career to “save his life”.
In October 2024, Fenton approached the personal injury team at solicitors Leigh Day to investigate his case. Last month, Leigh Day says it sent a personal injury Letter of Claim to his former employer, which now has three months to investigate and respond to the allegations.
“It is a massive blow that, just because my job involved cutting engineered stone worktops, I have had to give up well-paid work that I enjoyed,” commented Fenton.
“It is disappointing that I was allowed to work in these conditions with a product known to have the potential to be so dangerous. I am lucky that I was diagnosed early enough to give myself a better chance of avoiding developing a much worse condition, but I am very worried that others out there work in similar conditions and face the same dangers.
“I want to share my story because action needs to be taken to stop people working with engineered stone in these hazardous conditions. I don’t want other people to have to go through the turmoil of having to give up their job and worrying about what the future holds for them.”
Ewan Tant, partner at Leigh Day, also added: “It is deeply concerning that as result of the conditions my client alleges he was subjected to whilst working with engineered stone, he has had to take the difficult decision to give up a job he enjoyed. He now faces an uncertain future because of his condition.
“No-one should be forced to take such decisions and face such uncertainty simply because they go to work. We remain deeply concerned that, without action being taken to address the dangers of working with engineered stone without adequate protection, more and more people will be placed in Ryan’s situation.”
Leigh Day has previous experience of silicosis cases acquired by stone fabricators, as it also handled a similar claim brought by fabricator Marek Marzec against his employers. Marzec sadly passed away at the end of last year.
Concerns around silicosis have made significant headlines in the trade press in recent years. In 2023, the Australian Government announced it would be banning the product from its shores from 2024 onwards. Doctors have also said the UK should consider a ban on artificial stone worktops, following a rise in identified silicosis cases.
Multiple KBB surface companies have brought out low-silica alternative products over the last several years, and industry trade bodies like the WFF have argued that there is no need for a similar ban in the UK, so long as fabricators ensure their staff process the material in safe conditions.
kbbreview has reached out to Mr Fenton’s former employer for comment.
