Australia prohibited the manufacture, supply, processing and installation of engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs from 1 July 2024, in every state and territory. A separate import prohibition followed on 1 January 2025. The ban exists because cutting and polishing engineered stone releases respirable crystalline silica, and silicosis rates among stonemasons made the status quo untenable.
What most replacement guides get wrong is the scope. The prohibition is narrower than “anything with silica in it” and it turns on a specific definition, with a list of products expressly excluded. Understanding that list is what lets you specify a compliant benchtop with confidence instead of guessing.
What is actually prohibited
A person conducting a business or undertaking must not carry out, or direct or allow a worker to carry out, work involving the manufacture, supply, processing or installation of engineered stone benchtops, panels or slabs. “Processing” means using a power tool or other mechanical plant to crush, cut, grind, trim, sand, abrasive polish or drill.
Two boundaries worth noting. The prohibition applies to benchtops, panels and slabs, not to every possible engineered stone article. And it is a prohibition on work, not a requirement to rip out what is already installed.
The definition, and the one per cent threshold
“Engineered stone” for these purposes is an artificial product that meets all three of the following:
- It contains at least 1 per cent crystalline silica as a weight for weight concentration
- It is created by combining natural stone materials with other chemical constituents such as water, resins or pigments
- It becomes hardened
All three limbs have to be satisfied. That is why the exclusions below are exclusions rather than exemptions: those products fail one of the three tests.
What is excluded from the ban
| Product | Status |
|---|---|
| Concrete and cement products | Excluded, unconditionally |
| Porcelain products | Excluded, provided they contain no resin |
| Sintered stone | Excluded, provided it contains no resin |
| Natural stone such as granite and marble | Excluded, because it is not an artificial product |
| Bricks, pavers and similar blocks | Excluded |
| Ceramic wall and floor tiles, roof tiles | Excluded |
| Grout, mortar and render | Excluded |
| Plasterboard | Excluded |
| Products containing less than 1 per cent crystalline silica | Excluded |
| Finished articles not in benchtop, panel or slab form and not needing further processing, such as sinks and sculptures | Excluded |
The resin condition on porcelain and sintered stone is the one that catches specifiers out. A porcelain slab marketed as a compliant alternative is only outside the definition if it contains no resin, and the supplier should be able to state that in writing.
The rule most replacement guides miss
From 1 September 2024, Australia also brought in stronger regulation of all crystalline silica substances, not just engineered stone. A crystalline silica substance is any material containing at least 1 per cent crystalline silica by weight. Where work with one is high risk crystalline silica work, the obligations include a silica risk control plan, or a safe work method statement in construction, plus training, air monitoring and health monitoring. Work is taken to be high risk until a determination says otherwise.
This matters because it cuts across the exclusions above. Granite is excluded from the engineered stone ban and is often high in crystalline silica. Concrete and cement products are excluded from the ban and contain crystalline silica from their sand and aggregate. Being outside the prohibition does not put a material outside the crystalline silica regulations when it is cut or ground.
So there are two separate questions for any benchtop material, and a credible supplier can answer both:
- Is it caught by the engineered stone prohibition? That turns on the three-limb definition.
- What is its measured crystalline silica content, and what controls apply when it is processed? That turns on the crystalline silica substance rules and on the safety data sheet.
Benchtops already installed
There is no requirement to remove engineered stone that is already in place. Removal, repair, minor modification and disposal of installed engineered stone remains permitted, with controlled processing, dust suppression and respiratory protective equipment.
Two compliance details for anyone doing that work: notification to the work health and safety regulator is required before permitted legacy work in every jurisdiction except Victoria, and Western Australia and the Northern Territory require re-notification every twelve months.
One practical wrinkle emerged from the review of the ban. As drafted, the prohibition blocked the reinstallation of a legacy benchtop that had been temporarily removed to repair the cabinetry underneath, which was not the intent. Interim exemptions have been granted across jurisdictions to allow reinstallation, and the model regulations were slated for amendment. If a job involves lifting and refitting an existing engineered stone top, confirm the current position with the relevant regulator before quoting it.
Where the ban is heading
Safe Work Australia reviewed the prohibition with public consultation closing on 31 March 2025, and published an implementation plan in January 2026 covering six recommendations. The direction of travel is worth knowing if you are specifying now:
- The ban is not being expanded to other silica-containing products. Research into the health risks of alternatives such as porcelain and sintered stone continues.
- Testing criteria are being standardised so that whether a product is engineered stone can be determined consistently.
- Labelling and safety data sheet accuracy for alternative products is being tightened, which is a direct response to alternatives being marketed with silica content that does not match the product.
That last point is the reason to ask for numbers rather than accept a “silica free” label at face value, whoever is supplying the benchtop.
Comparing the alternatives
| Material | Engineered stone ban | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Porcelain slab | Outside the ban if resin free | Written confirmation of no resin, and crystalline silica content |
| Sintered stone | Outside the ban if resin free | Same as porcelain |
| Natural granite or marble | Outside the ban | Crystalline silica content, which can be high in granite, and processing controls |
| Solid surface acrylic | Outside the ban | Filler composition, scratch and heat performance |
| Stainless steel | Outside the ban | Nothing silica related; appearance and finish are the trade-off |
| Timber | Outside the ban | Nothing silica related; maintenance and water resistance |
| Concrete and cement based, including GRC | Outside the ban, unconditionally | Measured crystalline silica content, and processing controls, since cement products are still crystalline silica substances unless below the threshold |
ShapeShift manufactures a cement based benchtop from its glass reinforced concrete substrate, set out on the silica free kitchen benchtop page. Cement products sit outside the engineered stone prohibition by definition, and the material is moulded rather than cut from a slab, which changes the fabrication exposure profile. As with any alternative, ask for the measured crystalline silica content and the safety data sheet.
Questions to ask any benchtop supplier now
- Is the product engineered stone within the three-limb definition? If the answer is a brand name rather than a yes or no, ask again.
- If it is porcelain or sintered stone, does it contain resin, in writing?
- What is the measured crystalline silica content as a weight for weight percentage, and what is it measured against?
- Can you provide the current safety data sheet?
- How is the product fabricated to size, and does that fabrication involve dry cutting or grinding?
- Who carries out installation, and what controls do they use?
Frequently asked questions
When did the engineered stone ban start?
1 July 2024 in every state and territory, covering manufacture, supply, processing and installation of engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs. A separate import prohibition started on 1 January 2025.
Do I have to remove my existing engineered stone benchtop?
No. There is no requirement to remove engineered stone already installed. Work on it, including removal, repair and disposal, remains permitted with controlled processing and respiratory protection, and in most jurisdictions with prior notification to the regulator.
Is porcelain allowed after the ban?
Porcelain is excluded from the definition of engineered stone provided it does not contain resin. Sintered stone is treated the same way. Get the resin position confirmed in writing.
Is concrete a compliant benchtop material?
Concrete and cement products are excluded from the engineered stone prohibition unconditionally. They can still contain crystalline silica, so the separate crystalline silica substance rules apply when they are cut or ground, and the measured silica content is the number to ask for.
Does “silica free” mean zero silica?
Not necessarily, and this is why the regulator is tightening labelling and safety data sheet accuracy for alternative products. Ask for the measured weight for weight percentage rather than relying on a marketing term.
Is the ban going to be extended to other materials?
On the current published position, no. The review concluded that the prohibition would not be expanded to other silica-containing products, with effort directed instead at testing criteria, labelling accuracy and the crystalline silica substance rules that already cover processing.
Specifying a benchtop now
For a project or a product range, the useful starting point is the material, the fabrication method and the measured silica content, not the marketing category. See the silica free kitchen benchtop page or get in touch through contact.
This page summarises the position as at September 2026 and is general information, not work health and safety advice. Confirm current requirements with the work health and safety regulator in your jurisdiction.
