Artificial stone used to make kitchen and bathroom countertops has been linked to cases of death and irreversible lung injury in workers who cut, grind and polish this increasingly popular material.

The biggest lung disease crisis since asbestos: Our love of stone kitchen benchtops is killing workers

Doctors are worried Australia is facing the worst occupational lung disease crisis since the peak of the asbestos disaster.

Stonemasons who cut engineered stone into a popular type of kitchen benchtop are contracting accelerated silicosis at alarming levels, after being exposed to unsafe levels of silica dust.

3M™ Aura™ Particulate Respirators 9300A+ Series

Technical Data Sheet

The 3M™ Aura™ Particulate Respirator 9300A+ Series provides effective respiratory protection for use in environments where workers will be exposed to airborne dust particles and non-volatile liquid particles.

The 3M™ Aura™ Particulate Respirator 9300A+ Series respirators meet the Class P1 or P2 performance requirements of AS/NZS 1716:2012 for filtering mechanically (P1) and thermally (P2) generated particles. They should be used to protect the wearer from solid and non-volatile liquid particles only. Class P2 respirators are also recommended for use in certain applications against some pathogenic biological airborne particulates such as Influenza virus. A copy of AS/NZS 1716:2012 can be purchased from SAI Global.

Use this quick selection guide to find the recommended respiratory protection for your hazard and face shape.

Please note:

if you have identified contaminated air as a hazard, you should put control measures in place to manage exposure. The hierarchy of controls is a system that will guide you to select appropriate controls. The use of respiratory protection is one method of control which can be used in conjunction with other controls.