Crystalline silica

Uncontrolled cutting, drilling, polishing and grinding of materials containing crystalline silica presents a serious risk to health. Learn how to manage the risks of working with crystalline silica products and materials such as engineered stone.
New safety requirements for work involving the processing of crystalline silica substances (CSS) commence from 1 September 2024.
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See more information on working with crystalline silica substances from 1 September 2024.

• What is crystalline silica
• Changes to working with crystalline silica substances from 1 September 2024
• How to protect yourself and workers
• How to increase awareness of silica
• Notification of silicosis diagnosis
• What we are doing about silica
• Resources

What is crystalline silicaHazardous levels of airborne dust are generated from uncontrolled cutting, grinding or drilling of products or materials containing crystalline silica.
Breathing in this dust, usually over several years, leads to serious and fatal lung disease such as silicosis.

To help understand the impacts of silica exposure on a workers health, iCare have developed a short video “How does silica harm you?” featuring Dr Sugeesh Pathirana, an occupational physician working for iCare Dust Diseases Care delivering health screening.
youtu.be/DguWiz7HTCs



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.
You must use water, dust extraction systems on portable tools, or adopt other methods that eliminate or minimise the generation of silica dust.
If you are a fabricator or installer of engineered stone materials, on-the-spot fines of $3,600 will also be issued for uncontrolled cutting, grinding, drilling and polishing.
Crystalline silica general fact sheet (including translation into Arabic, Chinese (Simplified) and Vietnamese).
Where is crystalline silica found?Engineered materials containing silica, such as manufactured stone, are used in kitchen benches and counter tops. Workers will also come across silica when excavating or tunnelling through sandstone.
Typical crystalline silica levels in different materials are:

• sand and sandstone: 70-100%
• manufactured stone: 93% or higher
• granite: 20-45% (typically 30%)
• concrete and mortar: 25-70%
• calcium-silicate bricks: 50-55%
• slate: 20-40%
• brick: up to 30%
• fibre cement sheets: 10-30%
• demolition dust: 3-4%
• marble: 2%
• limestone: 2%

The harmsExposure to silica dust can lead to a number of serious illnesses including:

• silicosis – scarring of the lung that can result in a severe shortness of breath and is not reversible. Severe cases can be terminal or require a lung transplant
• lung cancer
• kidney disease
• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The workplace exposure standard (WES) for respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust is 0.05 mg/m3 as a time-weighted average airborne concentration over 8 hours.
Changes to working with crystalline silica substances from 1 September 2024New safety requirements for work involving the processing of crystalline silica substances (CSS) commence from 1 September 2024.
The required safeguards apply to all materials containing at least 1% crystalline silica and include work involving:

• the use of power tools or mechanical plant to carry out an activity involving the crushing, cutting, grinding, trimming, sanding, abrasive polishing or drilling of a CSS; or
• the use of roadheaders to excavate material that is a CSS; or
• the quarrying of a material that is a CSS; or
• mechanical screening involving a material that is a CSS; or
• tunnelling through a material that is a CSS; or
• a process that exposes, or is reasonably likely to expose, a person to respirable crystalline silica during the manufacture or handling of a CSS.

These safeguards will complement the ban on the manufacture, supply, processing, and installation of engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs containing at least 1% crystalline silica which came into effect on 1 July 2024. Together, these will protect workers from the harms of exposure from silica.
Visit Safe Work Australia for guidance.
How to protect yourself and workersEliminate or substitute the riskRemove the hazard completely, change the design, replace the hazard with products containing less crystalline silica.
For example, replace engineered stone containing high levels of silica with materials containing no silica or much lower levels of silica.
Isolate the hazardIsolate workplace areas where dust is generated from other workers, enclose processes, or isolate the hazard from anyone exposed to it.
For example, with barriers.
Engineering controlsUse local exhaust ventilation systems to remove dust at the source and ensure such ventilation is correctly placed and operates at effective flow rates.
Use dust capture systems on tools to reduce dust exposure of mobile workers.
Ensure regular housekeeping in work areas to prevent the accumulation of dust and use H or M class vacuums for safe clean up.
Mandatory exposure standardsFrom 1 July 2020:

• the workplace exposure standard (WES) for respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust is 0.05 mg/m3 (eight-hour time-weighted average)
• on-the-spot fines apply for PCBUs failing to notify SafeWork NSW of an adverse health monitoring report.

Health monitoringPCBUs (employers) must arrange regular health monitoring for workers where exposure to crystalline silica results in a significant risk to their health.
Insurance and Care NSW (iCare) offers subsidised health monitoring (chest X-rays and lung capacity tests) to businesses across NSW through its Lung Screen service.
It may take time for signs and symptoms of silicosis to develop and be identified during health monitoring.
A single clear health monitoring report does not mean a worker won't develop silicosis in the future.
It also doesn't demonstrate their work practices are effective at controlling exposure to respirable crystalline silica.
For this reason, workers exposed to crystalline silica presenting a significant risk to their health must have regular health monitoring. Dust control measures should be implemented and reviewed regularly.
Complete our health monitoring webinar to understand when health monitoring is required and your regulatory requirements.
Administrative controlsUse safe work procedures, minimise the time workers perform higher exposure tasks, alert workers and visitors to danger, and provide information, training and supervision.
PPEProvide suitable PPE, including a program to correctly fit, instruct on use and ensure regular maintenance of respiratory protective equipment (RPE).
How to increase awareness of silicaSilica awareness and safety courseThe silica awareness and safety course by Construct NSW will help managers, supervisors and workers to:

• recognise the risk and serious long-term impacts of silica dust exposure
• describe where silica dust exposure occurs in the workplace
• describe the role and responsibilities of workers and PCBUs in minimising exposure to silica dust
• use the hierarchy of control to manage risk of exposure to silica dust in the workplace.

Enrol in the Silica awareness and safety course.
Notification of silicosis diagnosisMedical practitioners must notify NSW Health when they diagnose a case of silicosis. Find more information about how to notify a silicosis diagnosis.
What we are doing about silicaVisit our silica dashboard to find out what action SafeWork NSW is taking to reduce the impact of silica in the workplace.
The Small Business Rebate makes $1000 available to all eligible businesses and sole traders in NSW who buy and install equipment that makes their workplace safer.

​Source:
www.safework.nsw.gov.au/hazards-a-z/hazardous-chemical/priority-chemicals/crystalline-silica
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