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HEALTH AND HYGIENE
WORKSAFE SILICA COMPLIANCE PROJECT Silica, or silicon dioxide, is a common, naturally occurring mineral. In its quartz form, crystalline silica is a major component of many types of sand. It is used in the manufacture of stone benchtops, concrete and some bricks and rocks (e.g. granite, slate, sandstone).
WHAT ARE THE HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH SILICA? When workers cut, crush, drill, polish, saw or grind products that contain silica, dust particles (not necessarily visible to the eye) are generated that are small enough to lodge deep in the lungs. These very small dust particles are referred to as respirable crystalline silica (RCS). Hazards relating to RCS can be found in a variety of industries such as construction and stone masonry, and in foundries. When exposed to RCS, workers are at risk of adverse health effects including: • s ilicosis – a serious and irreversible lung disease • an increased risk of: – chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – kidney disease – lung cancer. Conditions such as lung cancer and certain forms of silicosis can be fatal. Workplaces with risks of RCS exposure have a duty to implement practical controls to protect the health and safety of their workers.
| 20 | ThinkSafe vol. 3 no. 2 September 2021
SILICA COMPLIANCE PROJECT To ensure high-risk silica workplaces comply with occupational safety and health laws, WorkSafe undertook a compliance project between 2018 and 2021. While the project focused on engineered stone benchtop fabrication and installation work, it also included occupational hygiene monitoring during wall chasing activities in the construction industry and sample preparation processes in assay laboratories. Throughout the project, 150 workplace inspections took place, with approximately 1,000 enforcement notices issued. These notices were issued mainly for: • n on-compliance relating to establishing safe systems of work to control RCS hazards • a lack of health surveillance being provided to workers whose health was at risk. Air monitoring was conducted at 38 workplaces by the WorkSafe occupational hygienists in both metropolitan and regional locations. The results showed that 75% of workplaces were recording levels above the action level – a term used to refer to half the workplace exposure standard, and the level at which workplace control measures require review. As a result of enforcement action, 365 workers participated in health surveillance during the project. Of these workers, 24 cases of silicosis were identified.
