Silica dashboard

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

Current Silica project status (2017-2024)

National activities

On July 1 2024, a total ban on engineered stone came into effect.

The ban applies to the manufacture, supply, processing and installation of engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs. It excludes products which do not require processing or modification, such as jewellery, garden ornaments, sculptures, and kitchen sinks, and porcelain products and sintered stone that don’t contain resin.

In NSW, there is a transition period for engineered stone contracts entered into before 31 December 2023 and include installation prior to 31 December 2024.

For engineered stone already installed, a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) is required to notify SafeWork NSW when processing installed legacy engineered stone. This is done through an annual online notification form that can be found on the SafeWork NSW website.

Additional Work Health and Safety (WHS) regulations for high-risk crystalline processes across all industries commenced on 1 September 2024.

More information about the ban and regulation amendments in NSW can be found on the SafeWork NSW site.

SafeWork NSW key activities

  • Webinars have been held to provide industry with information about the silica legislation changes in effect from 1 July 2024 and 1 September 2024. Watch the webinar covering information on the engineered stone ban.
  • Launch of the Silica Safety Mask Basic video in English, Arabic, Mandarin, and Vietnamese. The video explains how to properly wear and look after masks.
  • Launch of the Respiratory protective equipment and requirements for fit testing workers page. The page focuses on respiratory protective equipment (RPE), including fit testing and fit checking requirements. Fit testing and fit checking are essential for workers exposed to silica dust.
  • Development and launch of the Silica Awareness and Safety online course. The 1.5 hour course provides an overview of key risks of silica exposure, health effects and control measures. It costs $105 per person.
  • Silica test tracker poster was distributed to businesses to remind them of their yearly testing obligations, including fit testing for RPE and health monitoring. 
  • Ongoing engagement with three major linguistic groups through the Community Voices program. The program targets the engineered stone industry, delivering in-language safety messaging.
  • Internal knowledge sharing within SafeWork NSW, focusing on cross-cultural engagements in the engineered stone industry to apply to other relevant strategies.
  • Silica safety in construction compliance program concluded in March 2024. This consisted of a state-wide visits program led by construction team inspectors, with a focus on raising awareness and providing education. Inspectors also conducted a verification program to reduce exposure to harmful silica dust in workers and others in NSW construction workplaces. A social media campaign and interactive webinar was used to raise awareness on the dangers of exposure to silica and control measures. Read the findings report.
     

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 June 2024.

3914
Workplace visits

Silica-related

126
Presentations

Silica-related presentations to workplaces

2251
Construction workplace visits
1355
Manufactured stone visits
359
Other industries

Includes tunnelling, manufacturing, foundries and stonemasons.


Notices

1822
Improvement notices

Any silica-related improvement notice

130
Prohibition notices

Issued for uncontrolled exposure to silica dust

12
On the spot fines

Issued for uncontrolled dry cutting


Court action and investigations

  • Seven silica-related matters have been filed in court for prosecution. Four of these matters are still in court and three matters have been finalised. One resulted in a $25,000 fine to the business and the other resulted in a $75,000 fine to the business.
  • In May this year, a business was fined $375,000 for failing to take reasonably practicable steps to minimise the risks of a worker acquiring silicosis as a result of repeated inhalation of airborne respirable crystalline silica.

Silicosis cases identified

Where volume of data is low, data has been grouped into categories to allow reporting while maintaining privacy principles.

115 cases* and 10 deaths**
1 July 2023 – 30 June 2024

115 silicosis cases were notified to NSW Health & the National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry by icare. 114 cases are male. 1 case is female.

*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 21 June 2024 to the 30 June 2024 has been extracted from the national register, reviewed against historical notifications to remove duplication and aligned with previous data requirement to ensure consistency.

**Due to the transition to the National Occupational Respiratory Disease Register, data on silicosis deaths is currently unavailable for the period of 21 June 2024 to 30 June 2024. Once this data becomes available, it will be reported on. 

Silicosis sub-type 

Chronic                                                 104
Accelerated<5
Acute<5
Not identified5

Region of Birth

Australia/New Zealand                 39
Europe9
Asia12
Middle East11
Not identified44

Age groups

Under 21                                               <5
21-4024
41-7074
71-9016
90+<5
Not identified<5

By industry (ANZSIC)

Manufactured/Engineered Stone (2090)                  83
Construction – site prep/heavy civil (3109/3212)20
Other10
Not identified<5

By occupation (ANZSCO)

Engineered Stone processors (7111)76
Construction – site prep/heavy civil (7212/8219)   25
Other9
Not identified<5

Historical information

107 cases
2019-20

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

40 cases
2018-19

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

9 cases
2017-18

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

Notification of a silicosis diagnosis

Medical physicians in NSW must notify silicosis diagnoses to the National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry (NORDR). Find more information about how to notify a silicosis diagnosis.


Action taken on uncontrolled cutting, grinding or drilling of silica products or materials

From 1 July 2020:

  • the workplace exposure standard (WES) for silica has been reduced to 0.05mg/m3 (eight-hour time-weighted average)
  • on-the-spot fines apply for uncontrolled cutting, grinding, drilling and polishing of manufactured stone
  • silicosis became a notifiable condition by all medical practitioners to NSW Health
  • on-the-spot fines apply for PCBUs failing to notify SafeWork NSW of an adverse health monitoring report.

Uncontrolled cutting, grinding or drilling of products or materials containing crystalline silica can generate hazardous levels of airborne dust. Breathing in this dust, usually over several years, can lead to serious and fatal lung diseases such as silicosis. You must use water, dust extraction systems on portable tools, or adopt other methods that eliminate or minimise the generation of silica dust. Inspectors can issue prohibition notices to stop you from doing work that generates high levels of silica dust. If you don't comply with a prohibition notice, PCBUs (employers) can face penalties up to $100,000.

If you are a fabricator or installer of manufactured stone products e.g. kitchen benchtops you must:

  • use saws, grinders and polishers with an integrated water supply to minimise the amount of dust generated
  • ensure workers wear half face piece reusable or disposable respirators as a minimum, that comply with the Australian Standard 1716:2012 Respiratory Protective Devices
  • use on-tool dust capture shrouds or water to control dust generated during any work required during on site installation.

Failure to use these controls for fabricating or installing manufactured stone can result in an on the spot fine of $3,600.


More information and resources

Codes of practice and fact sheets

Rebates

Resources

Partnerships

Research and case studies

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