Marek Marzec, 48, died from simply ‘doing their job’
father-of-three who was given weeks to live has died after inhaling ‘lethal’ dust from kitchen worktops in his job.
Marek Marzec, 48, originally from Poland, had been working as a stoneworker in the UK since 2012.
Having cut kitchen worktops in ‘appalling working conditions’ throughout his career, he eventually developed silicosis – a long-term lung disease caused by the inhalation of large amounts of crystalline silica dust.
The disease had reached such an advanced stage that he was given just weeks to live at the end of October.
Marek was so ill that he couldn’t risk undergoing a potentially lifesaving operation.
Marek Marzec, 48, died from simply ‘doing their job’ (SWNS)
If it wasn’t for the degrade of his health, the stoneworker was in the process of taking legal action against the companies he used to work for.
His family said he died on at the Whittington Hospital in London on 30 November from ‘Artificial Stone Silicosis’.
“The family and I are all very saddened by the death of Marek,” his sister Monika Woźniak, who lives in Poland, said.
“[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.”
Ewan Tant, Mr Marzec’s solicitor and a partner at Leigh Day, added: “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.
The father-of-three who was given weeks to live has died after inhaling ‘lethal’ dust from kitchen worktops in his job (SWNS)
“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, Marek said he was in ‘terrible pain’ from simply ‘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.”
Featured Image Credit: SWNS
A 48-year-old man has revealed that he only has weeks left to live after coming down with a lung disease caused by his job.
Marek Marzec, originally from Poland, has been diagnosed with a long-term lung disease that he contracted, while working his job of cutting kitchen worktops as a stoneworker in the UK since 2012.
The father-of-three has been left angry and distraught at the situation.
He’s currently on his death bed, as he was deemed too ill to go through a potentially lifesaving operation.
As a result, he is taking legal action against his ex-employers.
The stoneworker is now on his deathbed (SWNS)
Marzec has Silicosis, a long-term lung disease that is caused by ‘inhaling large amounts of crystalline silica dust’ over long periods of time, according to the NHS.
Silica can be found in types of stone, rock, sand, and clay, that can give off the harmful dust while being worked with.
The dust has been labeled as ‘lethal’.
Marzec is not the only former stoneworker that has been diagnosed with the disease, as he pushes to change health and safety measures around the job along with others.
Law firm Leigh Day is representing Marzec and other stoneworkers in this case, after the Polish man was diagnosed in April this year, before seeing his health deteriorate rapidly as a result of the disease.
He is currently being treated at Whittington Hospital in North London, with occupational lung disease expert Doctor Jo Feary taking care of the 48-year-old.
Marzec’s condition is at a critical point, as stoneworkers with the disease have found difficulty breathing and severe disability – a lung transplant is the only way to treat Silicosis.
Leigh Day has highlighted that more safety measures are needed to stop the increasing number of cases of silicosis, which has cost the life of one other stone worker, at least.
A law firm is taking action to change the health and safety measures for stoneworkers (SWNS)
Marzec’s solicitor from Leigh Day, Ewan Tant, explained that if nothing changes, we could see more deaths in the next few years.
Tant said: “This is a tragic case, with my client now on end-of-life care as a result of working with engineered stone, in what he alleges were appalling conditions, totally unfit for purpose.
“No one should end up facing the bleakest of outcomes simply as a result of going to work,” he added.
The solicitor said that they are ‘deeply concerned’ over the ‘appalling’ and ‘potentially fatal’ outcomes that could come to reality in the near future if things stay the same.
From hospital, Marzec explained the ‘terrible pain’ he had been left in, emotionally admitting: “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,” the father said.
He went on: “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.”
Marzen said that he’s ‘not the only person’ who has been affected, saying it’s time for ‘urgent action’ to put a halt to these ‘dangerous working conditions’ before more stoneworkers die.
Featured Image Credit: SWNS
A 48-year-old man who was given weeks to live after inhaling dust from kitchen worktops has warned ‘he’s not the only one’.
Mark Marzec came down with a long-term lung disease after working as a stoneworker in the UK since 2012.
The Polish national is now on his death bed after his health being too much at risk to go through a potentially lifesaving operation.
Angry and distraught, it’s believed the dad-of-three contracted the disease from cutting down kitchen worktops and consequently inhaling a certain type of dust.
The man has been diagnosed with Silicosis, which the NHS say is caused by ‘inhaling large amounts of crystalline silica dust’ over long periods of time.
Marzec says his job has left him ‘unable to breathe’. (SWNS)
This ‘lethal’ stuff can be found in types of stone, rock, sand, and clay that give off dust while being worked.
With weeks left to live, Marzec is taking legal action against his former employers.
The man claims he’s ‘not the only person’ who has been affected like this and says it’s time for ‘urgent action’ to put a stop to these ‘dangerous working conditions’ before more stoneworkers die as a result.
Law firm Leigh Day is representing Marzec and other stoneworkers in this case, as they push for change to health and safety measures.
It’s been highlighted that more safety measures are needed to stop the increasing number of cases of Silicosis, which has apparently taken the life of at least one other stone worker.
Marzec’s solicitor, Ewan Tant, explained if nothing changes, we could see more deaths in the coming years.
It’s feared other stoneworkers will lose their lives. (SWNS)
He said: “This is a tragic case, with my client now on end-of-life care as a result of working with engineered stone, in what he alleges were appalling conditions, totally unfit for purpose.
“No one should end up facing the bleakest of outcomes simply as a result of going to work.”
Tant said that they are ‘deeply concerned’ over the ‘appalling’ and ‘potentially fatal’ outcomes that could come to reality soon if things stay the same.
Marzec was diagnosed in April this year, with his health deteriorating rapidly due to the disease and is now at a critical point.
He said from hospital: “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.”
Featured Image Credit: SWNS
