The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is working closely with the Worktop Fabricators Federation and British Occupational Hygiene Society to support introduction of an industry-led quality standard. To display the quality mark, a kitchen surface fabricator must demonstrate compliance against set criteria and meet the requirement for independent verification by a registered Occupational Hygienist.

HSE is engaging with the Stone Federation, engineered stone suppliers, processors and installers, and has also written to 23 suppliers of engineered stone confirming their duties to provide information to their customers about the risks when processing engineered stone products.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) supports the introduction of an industry-led quality standard by the Worktop Fabricators Federation in collaboration with the British Occupational Hygiene Society. Accredited fabricators must be independently audited by an Occupational Hygienist registered with the British Occupational Hygiene Society to confirm they meet all of the scheme’s criteria, which are in line with HSE’s regulatory approach to protecting workers.

The Government’s Defence Industrial Strategy prioritises building a more resilient UK industrial base. This includes strengthening critical supply chains that underpin defence, to ensure the delivery of critical defence outputs and to keep the UK safe and secure.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is actively engaged in de-risking critical defence supply chain vulnerabilities, working collaboratively with industry and our international partners to mitigate risks by better understanding our dependencies on a range of critical raw materials, including chemicals, used in the manufacturing of equipment for our Armed Forces.

We monitor threats to critical pinch points in our supply chains, including the potential impact of the Iran war, to enable us to make informed decisions around how and if to intervene.

MOD is actively engaged in the cross-government response to the Iran conflict and is continually assessing the potential impact on defence supply chains, particularly around fuel price increases and shipping disruption. Currently, the MOD assesses there has been no significant impact on the ability of the UK to manufacture defence equipment, but this will be kept under close review if the conflict continues.

The Government’s Defence Industrial Strategy prioritises building a more resilient UK industrial base. This includes strengthening critical supply chains that underpin defence, to ensure the delivery of critical defence outputs and to keep the UK safe and secure.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is actively engaged in de-risking critical defence supply chain vulnerabilities, working collaboratively with industry and our international partners to mitigate risks by better understanding our dependencies on a range of critical raw materials, including chemicals, used in the manufacturing of equipment for our Armed Forces.

We monitor threats to critical pinch points in our supply chains, including the potential impact of the Iran war, to enable us to make informed decisions around how and if to intervene.

MOD is actively engaged in the cross-government response to the Iran conflict and is continually assessing the potential impact on defence supply chains, particularly around fuel price increases and shipping disruption. Currently, the MOD assesses there has been no significant impact on the ability of the UK to manufacture defence equipment, but this will be kept under close review if the conflict continues.

Great Britain has a well-established regulatory framework under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended) (COSHH) that requires employers to control exposure to substances that can cause ill health, such as respirable crystalline silica (RCS) that can cause silicosis. The risk of exposure to RCS in workers in the construction and engineered stone industries can be managed using suitable control measures meeting well established standards.

Suitable control measures include the use of water suppression of dust containing RCS generated in construction and manufacturing processes, control of any mist generated and use of personal protective equipment such as respirators (masks). The effectiveness of controls must be maintained and workers must be trained to use such controls. Employers must also ensure that employees who are, or are liable to be, exposed to RCS are under suitable health surveillance.

The department collects data on the number of residential buildings over 18 metres in height in England with unsafe aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding. In the Gateshead Central and Whickham constituency, fewer than 10 such buildings have been identified, but the exact number cannot be disclosed to protect the privacy of individual buildings.

Leaseholders in buildings over 11 metres or five storeys are protected from paying for remediation of safety defects if the developer has signed the developer remediation contract. Additionally, the Government has made £5.1 billion available through the Building Safety Fund and Cladding Safety Scheme to cover cladding repairs for buildings over 18 metres where no responsible developer can be identified.

Furthermore, Remediation Contribution Orders provide leaseholders with a means to recover historical safety remediation costs from those responsible, such as developers.

The Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE), funded by the department, offers free legal advice to leaseholders.

Developers who have signed the remediation contract are responsible for funding assessments and completing all fire safety work, including non-cladding issues, in line with PAS9980 standards for external works and relevant standards for internal works, all at their own expense.

The department collects data on the number of residential buildings over 18 metres in height in England with unsafe aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding. In the Gateshead Central and Whickham constituency, fewer than 10 such buildings have been identified, but the exact number cannot be disclosed to protect the privacy of individual buildings.

Leaseholders in buildings over 11 metres or five storeys are protected from paying for remediation of safety defects if the developer has signed the developer remediation contract. Additionally, the Government has made £5.1 billion available through the Building Safety Fund and Cladding Safety Scheme to cover cladding repairs for buildings over 18 metres where no responsible developer can be identified.

Furthermore, Remediation Contribution Orders provide leaseholders with a means to recover historical safety remediation costs from those responsible, such as developers.

The Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE), funded by the department, offers free legal advice to leaseholders.

Developers who have signed the remediation contract are responsible for funding assessments and completing all fire safety work, including non-cladding issues, in line with PAS9980 standards for external works and relevant standards for internal works, all at their own expense.

There are no buildings in the Nuneaton constituency that have been identified with unsafe cladding.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) continues to inspect industries associated with exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) and to respond to concerns about risk management reported to HSE.

Adequate control measures for protecting workers from the risks of exposure to RCS are legally required under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), including water suppression, equipment enclosure, extraction and personal protective equipment, such as respirator masks. COSHH also requires workers to be trained to effectively implement such controls.

HSE works proactively with key stakeholders, trade associations and other industry bodies to raise awareness of the risks of exposure to RCS and to provide information and guidance on adequate control measures. This includes developing targeted communications to ensure that those at risk of exposure to silica dust from working with stone (including engineered stone) understand and are using the controls which can prevent exposure.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) continues to inspect industries associated with exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) and to respond to concerns about risk management reported to HSE.

Adequate control measures for protecting workers from the risks of exposure to RCS are legally required under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), including water suppression, equipment enclosure, extraction and personal protective equipment, such as respirator masks. COSHH also requires workers to be trained to effectively implement such controls.

HSE works proactively with key stakeholders and trade associations in the construction and manufacturing industries and is engaging with occupational clinicians, to understand any insights for enhancing future interventions aimed at RCS controls.

75 buildings between 11 and 18 metres have been identified as having ACM on the External Wall System and require remediation. 26 have started work and 49 have not. We will continue to push for further progress on this, and all remediation, at the earliest opportunity.

The latest data on remediation progress of high-rise buildings (over 18 metres) with aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding systems unlikely to meet Building Regulations is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-safety-remediation-monthly-data-release-january-2024.

The latest data on remediation progress of high-rise buildings (over 18 metres) with aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding systems unlikely to meet Building Regulations is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-safety-remediation-monthly-data-release-january-2024.

In Great Britain the responsibility for the regulation in the workplace for the production and use of engineered stone falls under the remit of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The link between engineered stone production and the risk of silicosis in workers is already known. Similar to processing natural stone, dust containing respirable crystalline silica (RCS) can be created when workers cut, shape or polish engineered stone.

HSE has advised the Government that is not currently considering restricting the use of engineered stone as the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations already require employers to put in place measures to protect the health of workers when using it. COSHH sets out the requirements for protecting workers from exposure to RCS, which include making a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk created by that work to the health of employees and of the steps that need to be taken to meet the requirements of the COSHH regulations.

The range of control measures in place to protect workers from exposure to RCS include water suppression, equipment enclosure, extraction and personal protective equipment, such as respirator masks. The COSHH regulations also require workers to be trained and competent to use such controls.

HSE carries out targeted research on measures to protect workers, including methods to adequately measure RCS. HSE also works with industry to raise awareness of managing the risks of exposure to RCS and continues to inspect and investigate in industries where there is potential for exposure to RCS. It has delivered several national inspection campaigns and have worked proactively with key stakeholders and trade associations, for example, in the construction industry.

In Great Britain the responsibility for the regulation in the workplace for the production and use of engineered stone falls under the remit of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The link between engineered stone production and the risk of silicosis in workers is already known. Similar to processing natural stone, dust containing respirable crystalline silica (RCS) can be created when workers cut, shape or polish engineered stone.

HSE has advised the Government that is not currently considering restricting the use of engineered stone as the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations already require employers to put in place measures to protect the health of workers when using it. COSHH sets out the requirements for protecting workers from exposure to RCS, which include making a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk created by that work to the health of employees and of the steps that need to be taken to meet the requirements of the COSHH regulations.

The range of control measures in place to protect workers from exposure to RCS include water suppression, equipment enclosure, extraction and personal protective equipment, such as respirator masks. The COSHH regulations also require workers to be trained and competent to use such controls.

HSE carries out targeted research on measures to protect workers, including methods to adequately measure RCS. HSE also works with industry to raise awareness of managing the risks of exposure to RCS and continues to inspect and investigate in industries where there is potential for exposure to RCS. It has delivered several national inspection campaigns and have worked proactively with key stakeholders and trade associations, for example, in the construction industry.

In Great Britain the responsibility for the regulation in the workplace for the production and use of engineered stone falls under the remit of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The link between engineered stone production and the risk of silicosis in workers is already known. Similar to processing natural stone, dust containing respirable crystalline silica (RCS) can be created when workers cut, shape or polish engineered stone.

HSE has advised the Government that is not currently considering restricting the use of engineered stone as the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations already require employers to put in place measures to protect the health of workers when using it. COSHH sets out the requirements for protecting workers from exposure to RCS, which include making a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk created by that work to the health of employees and of the steps that need to be taken to meet the requirements of the COSHH regulations.

The range of control measures in place to protect workers from exposure to RCS include water suppression, equipment enclosure, extraction and personal protective equipment, such as respirator masks. The COSHH regulations also require workers to be trained and competent to use such controls.

HSE carries out targeted research on measures to protect workers, including methods to adequately measure RCS. HSE also works with industry to raise awareness of managing the risks of exposure to RCS and continues to inspect and investigate in industries where there is potential for exposure to RCS. It has delivered several national inspection campaigns and have worked proactively with key stakeholders and trade associations, for example, in the construction industry.