A father-of-three who developed an incurable lung disease after years of cutting kitchen worktops in ‘appalling working conditions’ has died, his family confirmed.
Marek Marzec previously said the dust he inhaled while cutting trendy quartz kitchen worktops left him ‘unable to breathe’ and ‘in terrible pain’ prior to his death.
The 48-year-old, who had lung lung disease silicosis, was too unwell to undergo a potentially lifesaving lung transplant.
He had accused stone manufacturers where he worked for a decade of having ‘unsafe’ working conditions and hoped by speaking out he could prevent others from dying by simply ‘doing their job’.
Popular quartz worktops are made from 90 per cent ground quartz and 10 per cent resins and pigments.
While being processed into its final worktop form the stone releases harmful particles of fine silica dust being released into the air.
Once inhaled into the lungs, the particles can build up, causing internal scarring and inflammation of the lungs known as silicosis.
It has since been revealed that Mr Marzec sadly passed away at the Whittington Hospital in London on November 30 from respiratory failure due to silicosis.
Marek Marzec was left terminally ill at 48 after spending a decade working with quartz worktops at a stone manufacturer. His family have since confirmed his death
Mr Marzec claimed his employer did not have safe working conditions and did not take steps to minimise the harm of toxic particles
Mr Marzec – given just weeks to live after his condition worsened – was in the process of taking legal action against the companies he used to work for.
Originally from Poland, he had worked for several engineered stone manufacturers in north London and Hertfordshire since 2012.
The cause of death was listed as ‘Artificial Stone Silicosis’ on his proposed death certificate, law firm Leigh Day said.
Following his death, his sister Monika, who lives in Poland, spoke of the importance of raising awareness about the conditions he worked in, to prevent others from dying similarly unnecessary deaths.
She said: ‘The family and I are all very saddened by the death of Marek.
‘[He] fought so bravely in the face of his diagnosis, as well as for future victims of this terrible condition, by speaking out to the media about engineered stone and the appalling conditions in which he worked.
‘Marek was a beloved father and brother who will be missed by all of us, but we are proud of the legacy he has left by speaking up for the victims of silicosis.’
Leigh Day is representing Mr Marzec along with several other former stoneworkers similarly diagnosed with silicosis and are demanding ‘urgent’ safety changes.
Mr Marzec was diagnosed with silicosis in April earlier this year, with his condition having deteriorated rapidly since.
He was being treated at the Whittington Hospital under the care of leading occupational lung disease expert Dr Jo Feary, from the Royal Brompton Hospital.
Expensive quartz worktops are made from one of the hardest minerals on earth which, when processed, results in the release of potentially harmful particles of fine dust
However, his silicosis – a long-term lung disease caused by the inhalation of large amounts of crystalline silica dust – had reached such an advanced stage that he was given just weeks to live at the end of October.
A recent study found that stone workers similar to Mr Marzec had developed an acute form of silicosis that causes significant shortness of breath and severe disability, with a lung transplant often being the only way to treat it.
Unfortunately, Mr Marzec was too unwell to undergo such an operation and was placed on end-of-life care.
Leigh Day’s legal team said tougher safety measures are urgently needed to halt the growing number of cases of silicosis linked to cutting engineered stone – which has already claimed the life of at least one other stone worker.
Ewan Tant, Mr Marzec’s solicitor and a partner at Leigh Day, warned that without these measures, further tragic deaths similar to his late client’s would follow.
‘Marek was a lovely man and incredibly brave, both in how he stood up to his illness, but also in deciding to tell his story to try to help other engineered stone workers who might end up in the same position as him,’ he said.
‘My thoughts are with his family, in particular his three daughters who have lost their father in entirely avoidable circumstances.
‘I hope Marek’s death will be a wake-up call to the engineered stone industry and the HSE that urgent action must now be taken to improve workers’ safety and avoid a repeat of this tragedy.’
Speaking from hospital in October, Mr Marzec had told of being left in ‘terrible pain’ and unable to breathe ‘simply for doing my job’.
‘I arrived in the UK hoping to build a better life and wanting to make sure that my young daughters were financially secure,’ he said.
‘Instead, because of the work I did cutting quartz worktops, I have been left unable to breathe and in terrible pain.
‘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.
‘I am not the only person whose life has been put at risk by this lethal dust.
‘It is time for urgent action to stop these dangerous working conditions I had to face before other stone workers contract this terrible disease and die.’
‘I have incurable lung disease after working with toxic stone worktops
