FY25 snapshot
Data is from 1 July - 30 September 2024.
SafeWork NSW compliance activities
The following information relates to SafeWork NSW’s silica workplace visit program that commenced in 2018. Data is from 2018 to 30 September 2024.
Silica-related
Includes tunnelling, manufacturing, foundries and stonemasons.
Silica-related presentations to workplaces
Notices
Any silica-related improvement notice
Issued for uncontrolled exposure to silica dust
Issued for uncontrolled dry cutting
Silicosis cases identified
Where volume of data is low, data has been grouped into categories to allow reporting while maintaining privacy principles.
Graph represents the annual silicosis diagnosis notifications to SafeWork NSW.
1 July 2024 - 30 September 2024
23 cases1
18 silicosis cases were notified to NSW Health & the National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry by icare. 23 cases are male.
Silicosis sub-type
| Chronic | 23 |
| Accelerated | 0 |
| Acute | 0 |
| Not identified | 0 |
Region of Birth
| Australia/New Zealand | 8 |
| Europe | <5 |
| Asia | <5 |
| Middle East | <5 |
| Not identified | 13 |
Age groups
| Under 21 | <5 |
| 21-40 | <5 |
| 41-70 | 17 |
| 71-90 | <5 |
| 90+ | <5 |
| Not identified | <5 |
By industry (ANZSIC)
| Manufactured/Engineered Stone (2090) | 12 |
| Construction – site prep/heavy civil (3109/3212) | 8 |
| Other | <5 |
| Not identified | <5 |
By occupation (ANZSCO)
| Engineered Stone processors (7111) | 10 |
| Construction – site prep/heavy civil (7212/8219) | 8 |
| Other | <5 |
| Not identified | <5 |
Historical information
Prior to commencement of the NSW Dust Disease Register (data derived from icare).
Prior to commencement of the NSW Dust Disease Register (data derived from icare).
Prior to commencement of the NSW Dust Disease Register (data derived from icare).
Resources
- Crystalline silica – SafeWork NSW
- Crystalline silica dust safety video – SafeWork NSW
- Silica Awareness and Safety online course – Construct NSW
- Engineered stone – SafeWork NSW
- Engineered stone ban – SafeWork NSW
- Legacy engineered stone notifications – SafeWork NSW
- Workplace exposure standard exceedance notifications – SafeWork NSW
- The $1,000 SafeWork small business rebate is available to all eligible businesses and sole traders in NSW who buy and install equipment that makes their workplace safer.
- Silica Safety in Construction safety checklist – SafeWork NSW
- Building and construction industry page includes resources such as the dust safety poster, toolbox talks, safety checklists and fact sheets – SafeWork NSW
- YouTube videos about safely cutting bricks and concrete that contain silica using on-tool dust capture and water. Translated versions are available in Arabic and Chinese – SafeWork NSW
- Drilling in construction video – SafeWork NSW
- Demolition and excavation video – SafeWork NSW
- Notification of a silicosis diagnosis page contains information about medical practitioners needing to notify NSW Health when they diagnose a case of silicosis in NSW – SafeWork NSW
- Silicosis - What you need to know – icare
- Another one fights the dust quiz – Lung Foundation Australia
- Code of Practice for engineered stone – SafeWork NSW
- Tunnels Under Construction Code of Practice – SafeWork NSW
- Code of Practice Construction Work – SafeWork NSW
- Crystalline Silica Technical Fact Sheet – SafeWork NSW
- Managing the risks of hazardous chemicals in the workplace – SafeWork NSW
- Preparation of safety data sheets for hazardous chemicals – SafeWork NSW
- Labelling of workplace hazardous chemicals – SafeWork NSW
- Prosecutions – SafeWork NSW