Silica dashboard

Silica dust is a major hazard for workers in NSW and can lead to the serious, and often fatal, lung disease -silicosis.
The dashboard highlights the work being done to help minimise, and work towards eliminating, this risk across NSW.

Latest news
End of transition period for engineered stone ban

The transition period has now ended and the total ban on the supply, manufacture and installation of engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs containing at least 1% crystalline silica is now strictly enforced across NSW. 

Our Inspectors are conducting targeted compliance visits to fabricators and suppliers to ensure they are not using, installing, or supplying engineered stone products that are now prohibited.  

FY25 snapshot

Data is from 1 July - 31 December 2024.

41
Silicosis cases1,2
81
Silica related notices issued

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 31 December 2024.

4525
Workplace visits

Silica-related

2640
Construction workplace visits
406
Other industries

Includes tunnelling, manufacturing, foundries and stonemasons.

1530
Manufactured stone visits
153
Presentations

Silica-related presentations to workplaces

Notices

2239
Improvement notices

Any silica-related improvement notice

150
Prohibition notices

Issued for uncontrolled exposure to silica dust

30
On the spot fines

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 - 31 December 2024

41 cases1

29 silicosis cases were notified to NSW Health & the National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry by icare. 41 cases are male. 

Silicosis sub-type

Chronic                                                 39
Accelerated2
Acute0
Not identified0

Region of Birth

Australia/New Zealand                 15
Europe<5
Asia<5
Middle East<5
Not identified21

Age groups

Under 21                                               <5
21-40<8
41-7029
71-90<5
90+<5
Not identified<5

By industry (ANZSIC)

Manufactured/Engineered Stone (2090)                  20
Construction – site prep/heavy civil (3109/3212)13
Other<5
Not identified<5

By occupation (ANZSCO)

Engineered Stone processors (7111)11
Construction – site prep/heavy civil (7212/8219)   8
Other<5
Not identified<5

Historical information

115 cases and 10 deaths
2023-24

NSW Dust Disease Register Annual Report 2023-24 (PDF 728.25KB)

57 cases and 7 deaths
2020-21

NSW Dust Disease Register Annual Report 2020-21 (PDF 1.42MB)

9 cases
2017-18

Prior to commencement of the NSW Dust Disease Register (data derived from icare).

65 cases and 9 deaths
2022-23

NSW Dust Disease Register Annual Report 2022-23 (PDF 822.4KB)

107 cases
2019-20

Prior to commencement of the NSW Dust Disease Register (data derived from icare).

64 cases and 10 deaths
2021-22

NSW Dust Disease Register Annual Report 2021-22 (PDF 542.96KB)

40 cases
2018-19

Prior to commencement of the NSW Dust Disease Register (data derived from icare).

Resources

Footnote:

  1. Due to the transition to the National Occupational Respiratory Disease Register, silicosis cases data ceased to be reported by NSW Health. Data for the period 1 July 2024 to the 30 September 2024 has been extracted from the national register, reviewed against historical notifications to remove duplication and aligned with previous data requirement to ensure consistency.
  2. Due to the transition to the National Occupational Respiratory Disease Register, data on silicosis deaths is currently unavailable for the period of 1 July 2024 to 31 December 2024, and will instead be published annually.
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