It’s being called the ‘asbestos of the 21st century’ - exposure to silica dust particles from engineered stone has placed hundreds of thousands of construction workers at risk of the lung disease - silicosis. 

A joint investigation by The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and 60 minutes has uncovered how companies continually place profit before the health of their workers and how regulators fail to do their job.

Today, investigative journalist for The Sydney Morning Herald, Adele Ferguson on the disturbing legacy of one of the oldest occupational lung diseases in the world.