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Australia’s import prohibition on covered engineered stone began on 1 January 2025. It is one part of a wider response: a separate workplace prohibition on manufacturing, supplying, processing and installing covered engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs took effect on 1 July 2024. The rules target specified products and activities—not every artificial stone product or every existing benchtop.
Why Australia banned engineered stone
Processing engineered stone with power tools can create respirable crystalline silica dust. When inhaled, this fine dust can penetrate deep into the lungs and cause silicosis, a serious and potentially fatal disease. The import prohibition forms part of measures intended to protect workers from that occupational exposure. Safe Work Australia explained the health rationale in its 1 July 2024 announcement.
In its review dated 4 December 2025, Safe Work Australia said the prohibition was operating as intended, while noting that implementation remained in its early stages. That is an early assessment of how the ban is working, not evidence that silica risks have disappeared or a long-term evaluation of its effects. See the review of the engineered stone prohibition.
When did the bans take effect?
There are two dates because the measures address different points in the supply and work chain.
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| Measure | Start date | What it addresses |
|---|---|---|
| Workplace prohibition | 1 July 2024 | Manufacturing, supplying, processing and installing covered engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs. |
| Import prohibition | 1 January 2025 | Importing covered engineered stone products into Australia. |
Safe Work Australia explains the workplace rules in its engineered stone ban guidance. The Australian Border Force import guidance covers the border prohibition, and the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations summary sets out both dates.
What products are covered?
Under the model WHS definition, engineered stone is an artificial hardened product that combines natural stone materials with other constituents—such as water, resins or pigments—and contains at least 1% crystalline silica by weight. The prohibition concerns products in the form of benchtops, panels or slabs.
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Appearance and marketing names are not enough to determine whether a product falls within the definition. The relevant questions are its composition, silica content, product form and intended use. For imports, businesses should check current Australian Border Force requirements and seek advice from the relevant regulator where classification is uncertain.
Materials listed as outside the definition
Safe Work Australia’s guidance lists the following as outside the engineered stone definition:
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- Concrete and cement products
- Bricks and pavers
- Ceramic tiles
- Porcelain and sintered stone products that do not contain resin
- Roof tiles
- Grout, mortar and render
- Plasterboard
Finished items such as garden ornaments, sculptures and kitchen sinks are also outside the prohibition when they are not to be further processed for use or installation. A product’s composition and what will be done with it matter; a label such as “porcelain” or “stone” does not settle the question by itself.
Does the ban mean an existing benchtop must be removed?
No. The prohibition does not automatically require homeowners to remove an engineered stone benchtop that is already installed. Safe Work Australia says available evidence suggests installed products do not pose a safety risk when they are left unprocessed.
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The concern arises if work such as repair, modification, removal or disposal would process the material and generate hazardous dust. Safe Work Australia advises homeowners not to undertake that work themselves and to contact a qualified tradesperson.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can old engineered stone still be repaired or removed?
Some controlled work on legacy engineered stone remains permitted for specified purposes, including removal, repair, minor modification and disposal. Genuine research and analysis, as well as sampling or identification, are also described as limited exceptions. These are not general permissions to keep manufacturing or installing new covered products.
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For legacy work, a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) generally must notify the WHS regulator in advance and ensure processing is controlled. Requirements are jurisdictional, and Safe Work Australia notes a Victoria-specific notification variation. Businesses should check with their local WHS regulator before starting work. Homeowners should use a qualified tradesperson rather than attempting processing themselves.
What the prohibition does—and does not—establish
The measures restrict imports and specified workplace activities involving covered engineered stone products to reduce worker exposure to respirable crystalline silica. They do not establish that all products sold as artificial stone are prohibited, that all silica-related work is banned, or that an installed benchtop must be removed. The December 2025 review’s finding that the prohibition was operating as intended is qualified by its note that implementation was still at an early stage.
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