A company has been fined for exposing workers to a deadly particle known to cause cancer.
Exposure to silica dust, a particle 100 times smaller than a grain of sand, can lead to workers developing silicosis - an incurable, debilitating and potentially fatal disease - as well as lung cancer.
SafeWork NSW inspectors attended Crystal Touch Masonry, a stone-cutting business in Sydney's west, and immediately halted work when conducting an inspection in March 2023.
Business director and owner Raad Patti pleaded guilty and was fined $135,000 on Friday at the NSW Industrial Court for failing to comply with the Health and Safety Act after exposing workers to dangerous working conditions.
When inspectors arrived on scene, a worker was covered in a fine dry dust on his face, hands, and clothing while cutting a stone slab with a grinder.
The dust covered surfaces such as stairs, shelves and floors, SafeWork inspectors reported.
White dust was also observed within the office area interior.
A sample from the slab being cut contained 34 per cent quartz, a substance found in respirable silica dust, Acting Justice Geoff Bellew said in his judgment.
Justice Bellew fined Patti and the company for knowingly placing an employee in danger and found Patti showed no remorse.
The small business owner argued the company struggled to meet financial ends as far back as the COVID-19 pandemic and his average income in 2025 was about $36,000.
It meant a dust filtration system couldn't be repaired, he argued.
However, it emerged during cross-examination the company bought two motor vehicles that year for which it paid more than $20,000.
His wife had also drawn $45,000 from the company and he couldn't recall his employed son's salary, the judgment reads.
"I did not find Patti to be an impressive witness," Justice Bellew said.
"His evidence of his earnings did not accord with the contents of his tax returns, and his evidence of his assets and liabilities was vague to say the least."
Acting SafeWork NSW commissioner Petrina Casey said the cancer-causing particle needed to be treated seriously.
"Having an awareness and assessment of the risks, along with implementation of safe systems of work, is key to reducing the risks of exposure to respirable crystalline silica dust," Ms Casey said in a statement on Thursday.
Since October 2025, businesses are legally required to register all workers engaged in high-risk processing of crystalline silica substances, such as cutting, drilling, grinding or polishing.
The work safety watchdog has previously recommended a complete ban on products silica dust is found in such as engineered stone, commonly used to make kitchen benchtops.
Crystal Touch Masonry has been contacted for comment.
