Workers across the UK are dying from a fast-moving and incurable lung disease linked not to coal mines or heavy industry — but to fashionable kitchen worktops. Doctors and campaigners have warned of a “man-made epidemic” caused by engineered stone, a hugely popular material used in modern kitchens, which can contain up to 95% crystalline silica.

When cut or polished, the slabs release clouds of microscopic dust that can scar the lungs beyond repair, causing a deadly form of silicosis. Unlike the traditional disease, which usually develops after decades of exposure, this newer “accelerated” form is striking workers in their 20s, 30s and 40s after just a few years on the job. The growing crisis was laid bare in a Sky News investigation featuring the testimony of dying stonemason Marek Marzec, who spent years cutting quartz kitchen worktops in poorly ventilated workshops.

Speaking from his hospital bed before his death in November 2024, the 48-year-old described conditions inside some factories as “like when you are in a tornado”.

He said: “We just had masks, and there was no extractor at all. You wouldn’t see anything a yard away from you.”

Mr Marzec, who moved to Britain hoping to build a better life for his family, said the work had left him “unable to breathe and in terrible pain.”

“I cannot tell you how angry I am that I was allowed to work in these conditions and that my life has been cut short simply for doing my job,” he said.

Engineered stone has become one of the most sought-after materials in the home renovation boom because it is cheaper and more uniform than natural marble or granite. But experts warn that its exceptionally high silica content makes it far more dangerous when safety rules are ignored.

Workers have described using handheld saws to dry-cut slabs inside cramped workshops with little ventilation and inadequate extraction systems, filling the air with thick white dust.

Dr Jo Feary, a thoracic consultant treating affected workers, said the scale of the problem was deeply alarming.

She warned: “We are seeing young men in their 20s and 30s with a disease that we used to see in miners in their 70s. This is an entirely preventable, man-made epidemic.”

Another worker, Wessam, died aged just 28 after his condition deteriorated so rapidly he became too ill to receive a lung transplant. His medical notes stated: “Deteriorated and died in hospital…Not suitable for transplant as too unwell.”

Campaigners say the deaths are entirely avoidable because the risks from silica dust have been known for centuries and can be controlled through wet-cutting, ventilation and proper extraction systems.

Australia banned engineered stone last year over health fears, but critics say UK regulators have been too slow to respond.

While Britain already has strict workplace laws governing silica exposure under COSHH regulations, campaigners say enforcement is failing in smaller “cowboy” workshops operating beneath the radar.

Ian Lavery, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health, said: “No more lives should be cut short by a dust we’ve known how to control for centuries. This is a silent, ongoing tragedy.”

Before his death, Mr Marzec issued a final warning, saying: “It is time for urgent action to stop these dangerous working conditions before other stone workers contract this terrible disease and die. I’m sure more people will fall ill.”

Express.co.uk has contacted the Health and Safety Executive for comment.