WHEN Sandra Elliott anticipated the occupational hazards of her husband’s job, she feared he might need a knee replacement or battle arthritis.
“Never did I imagine his job would affect his lungs,” she tells Sun Health, after his slow and agonising death.
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George Elliott was just 64 when he died of a brutal disease that developed after years of building mansions and luxury hotels for the rich and famous.
The stonemason from Croydon is among a rising number of British men falling victim to what is being dubbed the “new asbestos”.
Silicosis is an incurable disease caused by inhaling particles from materials with high levels of silica.
The mineral ravaged George’s lungs, causing inflammation and scarring which slowly suffocated him.
“George made his employers very wealthy, and it killed him,” his sister-in-law Caroline Hudson, tells Sun Health.
“It was horrific to look at him struggling during his last months. It appeared to be a very painful way to die.”
George’s is not the only life lost – on average there were 12 silicosis-related deaths each year in the decade to 2023, according to the Health and Safety Executive.
Most of these deaths are thought to be linked to authentic stone, and could be just the tip of the iceberg.
So far, 18 cases of silicosis linked to the use of cheaper, artificial stone have been recorded in the UK – the youngest victim was just 24.
Two men have died of the disease linked to the trendy artificial stone, while another two people have been referred for lung transplants.
In November, dad-of-three Marek Marzec, died at the age of 48, from respiratory failure due to silicosis.
He contracted the disease after breathing in dust from engineered quartz – an artificial stone worktop – according to law firm Leigh Day.
Both authentic and artificial stones contain varying amounts of silica, with some – particularly cheaper, fake options – posing a greater danger to health.
As a result of the surge in demand for artificial stone, which is often used in kitchen and bathroom worktops, Dr Johanna Feary, consultant in occupational lung disease at Royal Brompton Hospital, says she expects to see an explosion in silicosis in the coming years.
“We saw our first confirmed case of silicosis due to artificial stone in the UK in 2023,” she tells Sun Health.
“This year we have seen a steady increase in the number of cases which is of great concern.
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“You can have the disease without having any symptoms and we expect that there will be many more cases coming forward in the future.”
In Australia the authorities have outlawed artificial stone after hundreds of suspected cases, and now experts are putting pressure on the Government to follow suit and ban the new material.
George, who began his career as a stonemason in 1977, worked with granite and onyx, both known for their high silica content.
An inquest report into his death, seen by Sun Health, revealed that his employer, for whom he had worked for 30 years, had failed to provide him with “sufficient” personal protective equipment.
As a result, he was frequently exposed to harmful dust while on the job.
‘Real zest for life’
Reflecting on her husband’s passing, Sandra, 54, says: “I always thought George might need a knee replacement because he was always working on the floor.
“Or maybe he’d get arthritis from having his hands in water so much.
“Never did I imagine his job would affect his lungs.”
George was fit, healthy and thriving – that is, until March 2020 when he began to suffer from breathing difficulties.
Sandra says her husband had an army of friends and was known for making everyone laugh – jumping at the chance to help anyone who asked.
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“He’d run around to people’s houses and fix things for free, he was just that kind of person,” the sales assistant says.
“That’s one of the many reasons I loved him.”
George had a “real zest for life,” Caroline, a now-retired personal assistant, remembers, “something which came across to everyone he met”.
“He never let the grass grow under his feet, he was always out and about doing something.”
George was a Tottenham Hotspur fan, and he and Sandra bonded over their shared love for the team, attending games together whenever they could.
The couple had grown up in the same village, Warlingham, in Surrey, and finally got together after meeting at a pub in 1986.
Never did I imagine his job would affect his lungs
Sandra
Over 20 years later, Sandra proposed, and the couple tied the knot in 2008.
“I got on my knees because I couldn’t wait – I just knew he was the one for me, he was my best friend,” she explains.
George also loved visiting the theatre and playing golf at the weekend – a passion that took him all the way to Mexico, where he competed in the PJA National Pro Championships.
And his physical skills extended to his work, where he was a renowned “master craftsman”.
‘We had so many plans’
Such was his reputation, he was often called upon to work on the homes of famous celebrity clients.
“He was so good at what he did, he was known for making a room look its best,” adds Sandra.
George’s exceptional talent took him all over the world, where he helped craft the ornate interiors of 5-star hotels, and world-famous airports.
He even received a handshake from the late Queen after completing a project in Cambridge.
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After an illustrious career spanning over four decades, he was looking forward to putting his feet up and enjoying retirement.
“We wanted to visit the US again, especially New York – our favourite place in the world,” Sandra says. “We had so many plans”.
‘Only a few months left to live’
But in March 2020, after a long day on site, George began to complain of feeling pain in his chest – it was a pain that would never go away.
A few weeks later, George told his wife that he was struggling to breathe and had started coughing.
“His face would turn bright red whenever he coughed, it was scary to see,” Sandra says.
Within a year, his breathing grew increasingly wheezy, and he started to get tired very quickly.
George’s doctor told him to quit his job, explaining that the stone dust was making his condition worse.
His face would turn bright red whenever he coughed, it was scary to see
Sandra
Almost three years to the day after his symptoms first emerged, in April 2023, George was diagnosed with interstitial lung disease, caused by scarring of the lungs.
By May of that year, his lungs had deteriorated to the point where he was completely reliant on an oxygen cylinder 24 hours a day, just to breathe.
His final hope of survival was a lung transplant.
However in October, George learnt his disease was too advanced, and it would no longer be safe for him to go through with major surgery.
Doctors decided his heart, which was getting weaker by the day, would not survive such an invasive operation.
“It was heartbreaking news,” Caroline recalls. “I think it’s when George started to give up hope.”
Lung silicosis: Everything you need to know
Silicosis is a long-term lung disease caused by inhaling large amounts of crystalline silica dust, usually over many years.
Once inside the lungs, silica causes swelling (inflammation) and gradually leads to areas of hardened and scarred lung tissue (fibrosis).
Lung tissue that’s scarred in this way doesn’t function properly.
People who work in the following industries are particularly at risk:
- Stone masonry and stone cutting – especially with sandstone
- Construction and demolition – as a result of exposure to concrete and paving materials
- Worktop manufacturing and fitting
- Pottery, ceramics and glass manufacturing
- Mining and quarrying
- Sandblasting
The symptoms of silicosis usually take many years to develop, and you may not notice any problems until after you’ve stopped working with silica dust.
The symptoms can also continue to get worse, even if you’re no longer exposed.
Main symptoms
The main symptoms of silicosis are:
- A persistent cough
- Persistent shortness of breath
- Weakness and tiredness
Source: NHS
Over the coming days, George slowly lost his appetite and grew pale.
“You could see he was struggling to engage in conversation; the pain was that intense,” Caroline says. “He couldn’t even laugh, it took too much energy.”
Concerned, Sandra decided to call in his respiratory nurse for an assessment.
“She told me she was sorry but that ‘George only has a few months left to live’,” Sandra recalls.
She remembers turning to George, sitting on the sofa, and bursting into tears, repeatedly saying, “No, this can’t happen. This can’t happen, it’s too soon.”
When the nurse asked George how he was feeling, the only thing he said he cared about was making sure Sandra would be okay.
“Despite everything, his main priority was always me,” she says. “He was always so kind like that.”
‘I won’t be coming home again’
By this point, George was mostly confined to the sofa.
“I remember looking over one day and saw him watching a Spurs game,” Sandra says.
“Then all of a sudden I had this horrible realisation that it might be his last, and it was.”
A month later, on November 22, 2023, George woke up suffering sharp pains in his chest.
Sandra quickly called paramedics, who decided he needed to be taken to Conquest Hospital, in East Sussex.
As they prepared to leave, George turned to Sandra and said: “I don’t think I’ll be coming home again,” she recalls.
Later that day, George passed away with Sandra by his side.
“He was so young, even the consultants at the hospital said he died young,” she says.
It wasn’t until the inquest into George’s death in August last year that it emerged he had died from silicosis, as a result of exposure to dust while working as a stonesman.
Mr Elliot was not provided with sufficient personal protective equipment in order to undertake this work
Assistant coroner Laura Brandord
Assistant coroner Laura Brandord, based in East Sussex, concluded George had died of an industrial disease.
“Mr Elliot was not provided with sufficient personal protective equipment in order to undertake this work,” the coroner wrote in a report to his family.
“He would often be in dusty environments with only a paper facemask and no traction system.”
“It is absolutely devastating that he is no longer with us and he should be,” Caroline says.
“Silicosis is, to an extent, preventable, with all the right health and safety gear.”
After an increase in reported cases of the disease, law firm Irwin Mitchell launched a national register for stoneworkers to record incidents of contact with the dust.
Oliver Collett, a specialist in occupational disease for the firm, tells Sun Health: “Silicosis is an extremely debilitating disease and once developed, it’s incurable, as the damage caused to the lungs is irreversible.
“Symptoms include a persistent cough, shortness of breath and fatigue and in the most serious cases, can be fatal.
“It can also increase the risk of developing serious and life-threatening conditions, such as tuberculosis, auto-immune conditions and lung cancer.
“We’re seeing more cases involving workers diagnosed with silicosis, which is why we’ve created a Silica Exposure Register, so workers can store and retrieve their work history for future use.
“The register will help workers support each other, particularly if a case is against the same employer.
“In the meantime, it’s vital that people are aware of the dangers of silica and employers ensure the safety of their workforce.
“We’re also seeing much more about the dangers of engineered stone worktops and this is only likely to increase in the years ahead.
“Decisive action is needed to help prevent silica creating the same disastrous legacy as asbestos.”
Andrew Cooper, a solicitor at Leigh Day, is representing the first UK patients diagnosed with silicosis after working with fake stone.
He previously told The Sun: “We sadly think it’s very likely that we’re going to see a significant increase in cases going forward, based on countries like Australia.”
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