Tens of thousands of US stonemasons could develop the deadly lung disease silicosis from cutting kitchen worktops for home makeovers, a major new study has warned.
It comes after health experts raised fears the scale of the problem in the UK, where just over 50 cases have been diagnosed, could be vastly underestimated.
Experts have previously suggested that more than 1,000 tradespeople in Britain’s kitchen stone workforce could have the incurable illness and are calling for a screening programme.
Doctors have urged action from the UK government to prevent a surge in silicosis cases seen among kitchen workers in other countries such as the US and Australia.
Shorts
