Father-of-three Marek Marzec, 48, has died after an illness caused by lethal dust from cutting quartz kitchen worktops left him ‘unable to breathe and in terrible pain’
A dad-of-three who developed a lung disease after years of cutting kitchen worktops in “appalling working conditions” has died.
Marek Marzec had recently shared the devastating impact on his health caused by “lethal” dust from cutting quartz worktops. The 48-year-old was too ill to undergo a potentially lifesaving lung transplant, and was given just weeks to live after his condition worsened.
In his final months, he hoped to prevent others from dying by simply “doing their job” by raising the alarm over the risks involved in his trade. Mr Marzec was in the process of taking legal action against the companies he used to work for.
Marek, who was originally from Poland, had worked for several engineered stone manufacturers in north London and Hertfordshire since 2012. He sadly passed away at the Whittington Hospital in London on November 30 from respiratory failure due to silicosis.
The cause of death was listed as ‘Artificial Stone Silicosis’ on his proposed death certificate, law firm Leigh Day said. Following Marek’s death, his sister Monika Woźniak, who lives in Poland, spoke of the importance of raising awareness about the conditions he worked in. 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 is demanding “urgent” safety changes. Mr Marzec was diagnosed with silicosis in April earlier this year, and his condition deteriorated rapidly in the months that followed.
He was being treated at the Whittington Hospital in London under the care of leading occupational lung disease expert Dr Jo Feary, from the Royal Brompton Hospital. 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 say 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 has warned that more avoidable deaths will likely follow if no changes are made. He said: “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.”
“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”. He said: “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.
“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.”
