A 22-year-old tradie from the Gold Coast has become the youngest person in Australia to be diagnosed with silicosis, a deadly respiratory disease often referred to as 'the new asbestos'. Connor Downes, who worked with stone benchtop materials for three years, received the diagnosis after a friend discovered he had the condition.
Speaking about his diagnosis, Mr Downes described it as a 'massive shock'. Doctors told him he could no longer work in the only trade he knows, leaving him on minimum wages that barely cover his bills and mortgage. He and his partner had been planning to have children and he had just bought a house.
Mr Downes is one of hundreds of workers preparing to launch a class action suit against several stone benchtop companies. Law firm Slater and Gordon announced on Thursday it will lead the suit, alleging that manufacturers failed to adequately explain safety risks and handling precautions to employees.
Silicosis is caused by inhaling silica dust particles, leading to scarring of lung tissue and shortness of breath. While it typically develops over many years, extremely high short-term exposures can cause rapid onset. Mr Downes recalled that at his workplace, dust blanketed the floor daily, and when he got into his car after shifts, 'a big puff of smoke' would come off his clothes.
Practice Group Leader Margaret Kent of Slater and Gordon said, 'It is a tragedy that so many people have, or will, become grievously ill just by going to work. This class action will seek to ensure that the manufacturers are held to account for the harms their products have caused.'
Mr Downes encourages other workers to get checked. His case follows other reported cases, including Gold Coast former stonemason Shane Parata and his brother Anthony White, who died in 2017.
