Man Worked as Stonemason for 12 Years Diagnosed with Pneumoconiosis
Files Lawsuit Against All Employers
"Terrible Pain... I Won't Be the Only One"
A Polish man who worked as a stonemason in the UK was diagnosed with pneumoconiosis and is nearing the end of his life. Photo by Daily Mail UK
A Polish man in his 40s who worked as a stonemason in the UK for 12 years has been diagnosed with a terminal illness due to pneumoconiosis.
According to the UK Daily Mail on the 6th (local time), Marek Marzek (48), a Polish man living in London, worked at several stone processing companies located in London and other areas since 2012. He worked as a stonemason cutting stones to make quartz countertops for 12 years. During the stone-cutting process, he inhaled a large amount of dust, and as a result, he was diagnosed with pneumoconiosis at a hospital last April.
Currently, Marzek is receiving end-of-life care at a hospital in London. The only way to treat the disease is a lung transplant, but the condition has progressed so far that no further treatment is possible. In an interview with the media, he said, "I came to the UK to live a better life. I wanted to provide a financially stable environment for my young daughters," and added, "I only did my job, but having my lifespan shortened like this is truly infuriating." He continued, "Because of cutting quartz countertops, I became unable to breathe properly and suffered terrible pain," emphasizing, "I am not the only one whose life is threatened by this harmful dust." In fact, last year in the UK, a worker died from inhaling silica dust.
Even with only a few weeks left to live, Marzek filed lawsuits against all the employers of the companies where he worked. He criticized, "Stone manufacturing companies have unsafe working environments," and argued, "Safety regulations must be established promptly to prevent tragedies where people die while doing their jobs." Netizens who heard his story responded with comments such as, "It's so sad at such a young age," "I hope a safe environment for workers is established," and "I hope he no longer suffers."
Meanwhile, quartz countertops are made of 90% crushed quartz and 10% synthetic resin and pigments. During the processing of the stone into countertop shapes, harmful fine silica dust particles are often released into the air. These particles are inhaled into the lungs and accumulate, which is known to likely lead to scarring inside the lungs and pneumoconiosis.
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