A 48-year-old man who was given weeks to live after inhaling dust from kitchen worktops has warned ‘he’s not the only one’.
Mark Marzec came down with a long-term lung disease after working as a stoneworker in the UK since 2012.
The Polish national is now on his death bed after his health being too much at risk to go through a potentially lifesaving operation.
Angry and distraught, it’s believed the dad-of-three contracted the disease from cutting down kitchen worktops and consequently inhaling a certain type of dust.
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The man has been diagnosed with Silicosis, which the NHS say is caused by 'inhaling large amounts of crystalline silica dust' over long periods of time.
This ‘lethal’ stuff can be found in types of stone, rock, sand, and clay that give off dust while being worked.
With weeks left to live, Marzec is taking legal action against his former employers.
The man claims he’s ‘not the only person’ who has been affected like this and says it’s time for ‘urgent action’ to put a stop to these ‘dangerous working conditions’ before more stoneworkers die as a result.
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Law firm Leigh Day is representing Marzec and other stoneworkers in this case, as they push for change to health and safety measures.
It’s been highlighted that more safety measures are needed to stop the increasing number of cases of Silicosis, which has apparently taken the life of at least one other stone worker.
Marzec's solicitor, Ewan Tant, explained if nothing changes, we could see more deaths in the coming years.
He said: "This is a tragic case, with my client now on end-of-life care as a result of working with engineered stone, in what he alleges were appalling conditions, totally unfit for purpose.
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"No one should end up facing the bleakest of outcomes simply as a result of going to work.”
Tant said that they are 'deeply concerned' over the 'appalling' and 'potentially fatal' outcomes that could come to reality soon if things stay the same.
Marzec was diagnosed in April this year, with his health deteriorating rapidly due to the disease and is now at a critical point.
He said from hospital: “I arrived in the UK hoping to build a better life and wanting to make sure that my young daughters were financially secure.
"Instead, because of the work I did cutting quartz worktops, I have been left unable to breathe and in terrible pain.
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"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."
Jess Battison