Despite being more than a year shy of his 30th birthday, Joel Goldby has the lungs of an old man.

The Melbourne stonemason, who worked for a small company installing kitchens, has been diagnosed with potentially deadly silicosis following exposure to silica dust from cutting stone kitchen benchtops over the past 13 years.

He is one of scores of stonemasons who have joined Slater and Gordon’s national class action against manufacturers, as authorities brace for a health crisis that could be worse than asbestos.

At least 135 stonemasons have been diagnosed with silicosis in Victoria and Queensland alone.

“Each day I’m out of breath, my chest feels tight and heavy,” Goldby told Guardian Australia. “I’m always short of breath.

“I had never even heard about it. We really didn’t know the danger involved. I just want them to be held accountable and the rules to change.”

Goldby’s brother Mark, 32, is also a stonemason and was diagnosed first, which prompted Joel’s mother to urge him to get a medical check-up. Scans showed Goldby had nodules ranging from 1mm to 5mm across both lungs.

His best mate and a group of his work colleagues are also grappling with the condition.

Goldby no longer cuts benchtops and is confined to measuring duties. Even walking around at work can prove difficult, he said.

“If I tried to run I’d be out of breath in 30 seconds,” Goldby said. “I don’t know how long I’ve got. I feel robbed definitely but by how much I don’t know.

“I’d just love some kind of clarity but I don’t think doctors know enough about it.”

Stonemasons Joel and Mark Goldby developed silicosis from cutting stone benchtops.

People exposed to silica dust can develop chronic bronchitis, lung cancer, emphysema, kidney damage and acute, accelerated or chronic silicosis.

Slater and Gordon spokeswoman Margaret Kent said the largest stone benchtop suppliers – Caesarstone, Quantum Quartz and Smartstone – did not adequately communicate the severe safety risks or convey the necessary safety precautions.

“It is a tragedy that so many people have, or will, become grievously ill just by going to work,” Kent said.

Comment has been sought from Caesarstone and Quantum Quartz. Smartstone declined to comment.

The class action is aimed at supplementing existing workers’ compensation entitlements and the law firm wants to hear from other workers who fear they may have been exposed.

The Australian Engineered Stone Advisory Group, an industry group which covers 70% of manufacturers, said it was aware law firms had been advertising for silicosis patients to join a class action.

“It should be pointed out that manufacturers and suppliers are not the employers of the customers who purchase our products or the workers diagnosed with silicosis,” a spokesman said.

“Our members have been very active in educating our customers on safe work practices for more than a decade. We are developing an accreditation program and new safety education initiatives to further safeguard our industry.”

WorkSafe Victoria said the health risks of crystalline silica can be eliminated or reduced by using wet methods, and recommends air monitoring.

The occupational health and safety manager at the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union, Gerry Ayers, said it was unfortunate the situation had resulted in a class action.

“This issue has taken a long time for people to come to grips with and in that time we’ve had people dying and suffering immeasurably over a completely preventable disease,” he said.

Since 2001, WorkSafe Victoria has had 60 claims and six people had died so far, Ayers said. He noted there had been 13 claims last year.

In April the federal government announced it would set up a national dust diseases task force. It has committed $5m towards developing a national approach for the prevention, early identification, control and management of dust diseases. The money will also fund a national dust diseases register and research. The taskforce of medical experts, researchers and industry representatives will begin work in July.