48-year-old man has weeks to live after being exposed to toxic material in kitchen worktops

After developing a lung condition brought on by his work, a 48-year-old man has disclosed that he only has a few weeks to live.

Polish-born Marek Marzec has been diagnosed with a chronic lung condition that he developed while working as a stoneworker in the UK, cutting kitchen worktops, since 2012.

The circumstance has left the father of three feeling upset and irritated.

Since he was judged too sick to undergo a possibly life-saving procedure, he is currently on his deathbed.

He is pursuing legal action against his former employers as a result.

According to the NHS, Marzec has silicosis, a chronic lung condition brought on by “inhaling large amounts of crystalline silica dust” over an extended period of time.

Types of rock, sand, clay, and stone all include silica, which can release toxic particles when handled.

“Lethal” is the term given to the dust.

The condition has been identified in several former stoneworkers, including Marzec, who advocates for changes to workplace health and safety protocols.

Marzec and other stoneworkers are being represented in this dispute by the law firm Leigh Day. The Polish man was diagnosed with the condition in April of this year, and his health quickly declined as a result.

Doctor Jo Feary, a specialist in occupational lung disease, is currently caring for the 48-year-old at Whittington Hospital in North London.

Since the only treatment for silicosis is a lung transplant, Marzec’s condition is at a critical point. Stoneworkers who have the disease have reported breathing difficulties and significant disability.

Leigh Day has pointed out that additional safety precautions are required to prevent the growing incidence of silicosis cases, which have at least claimed the life of one other stone worker.

Ewan Tant, Marzec’s Leigh Day solicitor, clarified that additional deaths might occur in the upcoming years if nothing changes.

“This is a horrible case,” Tant stated. “My client is currently receiving end-of-life care because he worked with manufactured stone in what he claims were terrible conditions that were completely unfit for purpose.

“No one should end up facing the bleakest of outcomes simply as a result of going to work,” he stated.

They are ‘extremely concerned’ about the ‘appalling’ and ‘possibly catastrophic’ repercussions that could materialize in the near future if nothing changes, the solicitor stated.

In an emotional admission from the hospital, Marzec described the “horrible anguish” he had been placed in, saying: “I came to the UK with the intention of improving my life and ensuring the financial stability of my young kids.

“Instead, because of the work I did cutting quartz worktops, I have been left unable to breathe and in terrible pain,” claimed the dad.

He continued: “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.”

He’s ‘not the only person’ who has been impacted, Marzen said, adding that ‘immediate action’ is needed to stop these ‘hazardous working circumstances’ before other stoneworkers lose their lives.