Here’s Why People Are Talking About Boycotting ‘The Block’

It’s clear that some building materials that were commonly used in Australia in the past were incredibly unsafe. Asbestos was found in many building materials pre-1980 and lead was also found in many paints used on houses pre-1970. 

While the danger that both asbestos and lead carry when it comes to our health is now widely known, there’s another item that has been dubbed “the new asbestos” and The Block has come under fire for using a similar product. 

Engineered stone is often used for bathroom and kitchen benchtops in both new builds and renos, but the production can cause silicosis (a long-term lung disease) for workers who cut the stone. Nowadays, workers are required to cut the stone in full protective gear because of the risk it poses. 

According to HealthDirect, silicosis is a “long-term lung disease caused by inhaling unsafe levels of silica dust, usually over a period of many years”. It’s an incurable disease and can lead to other conditions, like lung cancer, kidney damage, chest infections and more. 

Steph and Gian showing off their finished kitchen on The Block. Image credit: Channel 9, The Block

Why is The Block under fire for using stone benchtops? 

The Block contestants have praised their “natural stone” benchtops in the past, including ones made by Cosentino. The silica levels are supposedly “low”, but ABC’s Media Watch recently investigated the show and reported that the risks with this type of product weren’t well communicated. 

Cosentino and Channel 9 defended their use of stone benchtops, saying that their stone doesn’t count as engineered stone. Using the Victoria Worksafe’s definition, a product becomes engineered stone when it contains over 40% silica. The benchtops provided on The Block by Cosentino have a range of 3.3% to 34% silica, so even at the top level, it squeaks in underneath. 

“More than 80% of the man-made stone used in this season of The Block contains less than 10% crystalline silica content,” the company said in a statement. “These products provide some of the strongest protectors to workers anywhere in the world.”

Nine told news.com.au that they only used “natural stone” on The Block and the benchtops weren’t cut on site. “All benches were made off-site using safe work methods (as shown in the program) and then installed on location,” the spokesperson said.  

Eliza and Liberty’s finished laundry on The Block. Image credit: Channel 9, The Block

Why are people boycotting The Block? 

The national secretary of CFMEU – a union for construction workers – has called for a public boycott of The Block. Zach Smith is spearheading a movement to ban engineered stone in Australia and it’s a cause he’s passionate about.

“People should listen to health experts who say there is no safe level of exposure to any engineered product, not fake tradies promoted foreign-owned merchants of death,” he told news.com.au. “Channel 9 and The Block clearly don’t care about Australians unnecessarily dying from working with engineered stone… people should boycott The Block over this.”

He went on to say that engineered stone is the new asbestos and believes that there will be a “sharp increase in deaths” due to the use of engineered stone in modern builds and renovations.

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Image credits: Channel 9, The Block