A tragic and preventable death is looming over Marek Marzec, a 48-year-old father of three, who is battling the devastating effects of lung disease caused by his years of cutting quartz worktops. Marzec, diagnosed with silicosis earlier this year, has been left with only weeks to live, unable to undergo a potentially lifesaving lung transplant due to the severity of his condition. His story is not just one of personal loss, but also a dire warning about the dangerous, and often ignored, working conditions many laborers face across the country.
Marzec, originally from Poland, moved to the UK with hopes of securing a better life for his family. For over a decade, he worked in various stone manufacturing companies across North London and Hertfordshire, cutting quartz kitchen worktops. The lethal dust produced during this work – known to contain crystalline silica – proved to be his undoing. Silicosis, a fatal lung disease, is caused by inhaling silica dust over time, leading to severe breathing difficulties, and in Marzec’s case, near total lung failure.
“I came to this country to build a better future for my children. Instead, my life has been destroyed because of the work I did,” Marzec shared from his hospital bed, expressing his deep anger and frustration. “I cannot breathe. I am in constant pain. And I’m dying simply because I did my job.”
Now, as Marzec faces the unbearable pain of an early death, he is taking legal action against his former employers through the law firm Leigh Day, hoping to prevent further tragedies from befalling other workers in similar positions. He is not alone – other former stoneworkers are similarly battling silicosis, demanding urgent reforms to safeguard workers’ health and prevent future deaths caused by this preventable disease.
Marzec’s case highlights a much larger issue: the lack of adequate protections for workers exposed to dangerous dust in industries like engineered stone cutting. A recent study has confirmed that many workers in this field are developing severe forms of silicosis, often requiring lung transplants for survival – a procedure Marzec is now too ill to undergo. His current diagnosis has left him in critical condition, receiving end-of-life care in a London hospital, under the expert care of Dr. Jo Feary from the Royal Brompton Hospital, a leading authority on occupational lung diseases.
Legal experts like Ewan Tant, Marzec’s solicitor at Leigh Day, are raising alarms about the systemic neglect that led to this crisis. “This is a tragic case,” Tant said. “My client is now facing a terminal outcome after working with engineered stone in conditions he alleges were appalling. No one should be put in such a position simply by going to work.”
The numbers speak for themselves. At least one other stone worker has already died as a result of this disease, and many more are at risk. It is critical that steps be taken to immediately address the dangers workers like Marzec face daily. Currently, the lack of proper protective measures, such as adequate ventilation and respiratory protection, continues to put workers in harm’s way. Marzec’s call to action is clear: urgent reforms are needed to prevent other families from enduring the same devastation.
“No one should suffer the way I have,” Marzec said, his voice filled with both pain and resolve. “I want my story to serve as a wake-up call for other workers who may be in danger. The industry has to change before more lives are lost.”
With rising cases of silicosis and other occupational diseases tied to insufficient safety protocols, the clock is ticking. Unless immediate action is taken to implement stronger safety measures in the engineered stone industry, more workers could face the same tragic fate as Marzec. His fight for justice is not just for himself, but for every worker who deserves to come home safely at the end of their shift.
