A 48-year-old stoneworker has revealed he has only weeks to live after developing a serious lung disease linked to his job.
Marek Marzec, a father of three originally from Poland, worked in the UK cutting quartz kitchen worktops for more than a decade. He has been diagnosed with silicosis, a long-term lung disease caused by breathing in fine silica dust over time. Silica dust is released when materials such as engineered stone are cut or shaped.
Silicosis severely damages the lungs and makes breathing increasingly difficult. In advanced cases, the only possible treatment is a lung transplant. Marzec is now too ill to undergo that operation and is receiving end-of-life care in hospital.
He says he is angry that he was allowed to work in conditions he believes were unsafe. He has begun legal action against former employers and hopes his case will raise awareness about the risks faced by stoneworkers.
Medical experts warn that without stronger safety measures, more workers could develop the same disease. Marzec says urgent changes are needed to protect others from similar harm.
His message is simple: no one should lose their life simply for going to work.