Silica Worker Register (SWR) notifications

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SafeWork NSW collection of PCBU information
SafeWork NSW collection of Worker information from PCBUs

SafeWork NSW collection of PCBU information

1. Who we are

This Privacy Collection notice applies to persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) who are required to provide information to the SafeWork NSW Agency (SafeWork NSW) for inclusion on the Silica Worker Register under clause 529L of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW) (Regulation).

Your information is being collected by SafeWork NSW, the NSW Work Health and Safety Regulator. SafeWork NSW is the primary work health and safety regulator in New South Wales. It operates under the legislative mandate of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act) and is responsible for engaging with the NSW community to prevent work-related fatalities, serious injuries, and illnesses and securing compliance with work health and safety laws. On 1 July 2025, it was formally established as an independent regulator under the Regulation.

icare, on behalf of the Workers Compensation (Dust Diseases) Authority (DDA), will also receive information from SafeWork NSW that has been notified by PCBUs to the Silica Worker Register under clause 529Q of the Regulation. icare will use this information to provide health monitoring services to eligible workers under clause 529R(d).

Both SafeWork NSW and icare give priority to protecting the privacy of your personal and/or health information, in accordance with the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (PPIP Act) and the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (HRIP Act).

2. Why we collect your personal information

We collect personal information from PCBUs to enable you to meet your obligations under the WHS Act and Regulation.

The information is collected for the following purposes:

Regulatory compliance: to support SafeWork NSW in carrying out its functions as the work health and safety regulator in NSW, including monitoring compliance with work health and safety laws and assisting the SafeWork NSW inspectorate in its compliance and enforcement activities.
Worker health monitoring: to enable SafeWork NSW to provide information from the Silica Worker Register to icare. icare is authorised under clause 529R(d) of the Regulation to use this information to arrange health monitoring services for eligible workers.

3. The kinds of personal and health information we collect

We collect the following information from the PCBU for inclusion on the Silica Worker Register:

PCBU and account holder details:

The first name, last name, and email address for the individual registering for the Silica Worker Register portal (portal).
PCBU head office address and work phone number.
Second account holder details, including name, work contact number and work contact email.

Worker details (for each worker carrying out high-risk processing of crystalline silica substances (CSS)):

Worker first name, last name, date of birth, phone number, email address.
A ‘yes/no’ response indicating whether, in the last 12 months, the PCBU has engaged a health professional (other than icare) to provide health monitoring services for each of its workers

Other information:

Any personal information that may be provided in your feedback submitted through the form.

4. Failure to provide information

PCBUs are legally required to provide this information to SafeWork NSW under the Regulation. Failure to provide the required information may result in breach of your obligations under the Regulation.

5. How we may use this information

We may use the information we collect in the following ways:

Portal registration and access: To register you for the portal, provide you with access, and enable you to provide notifications to SafeWork NSW that you are required to provide.
Regulatory and compliance functions: for internal administrative purposes, including to establish and maintain the Silica Worker Register, to assist the SafeWork NSW inspectorate in its work, and to carry out compliance, investigations, provision of advice and information, education, training, and enforcement under the WHS Act and the Regulation.
Worker health monitoring: to provide health monitoring services to eligible workers, track the health and safety of a worker with information on the Silica Worker Register and enable information sharing with icare so it can offer health monitoring services to eligible workers; and conduct epidemiological research.
Policy, planning and evaluation: to support informed policy making, program management, evaluation, research, and service planning, including facilitating more efficient service delivery for the public of NSW.
Targeted engagement: to deliver targeted communications and other engagement programs to PCBUs employing workers who perform high risk crystalline silica processing.
Technology support: to use artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to assist in processing, analysing, or responding to the information you provide. All use of AI is conducted in accordance with applicable privacy laws and data protection standards.
Other directly related purposes: as permitted by law.

6. Who we may share your information with

Safework NSW will share your information with icare for the purpose outlined above.

On 1 July 2025, SafeWork was established as an Executive Agency related to the Department of Customer Service (DCS). DCS provide some corporate service functions to SafeWork under formal agreement and assist us with our business operations by providing software and storing data on our behalf. Further information on how DCS manage personal information.

Where SafeWork NSW is permitted, authorised, or required to use or disclose information in accordance with legal requirements or a law of the State of NSW or the Commonwealth, measures will be taken to minimise the unnecessary disclosure of personal information.

We will not disclose your information to anybody else unless we are authorised or permitted to do so by law or where you have given consent. Our privacy statement describes when this may occur.

7. Protecting your information

We will store and manage your information in accordance with the provisions of the PPIP Act and HRIP Act. We have measures in place to help protect your personal information from loss, unauthorised access, use, modification, disclosure, or other misuse.

We will only keep information for as long as we need it to fulfil the purposes we collected it for. After which, the information will be disposed of securely in accordance with the State Records Act 1998 and any other applicable legislation.

See our privacy management plan for more information about how we handle your personal information.

8. Your rights

Subject to certain conditions, you have the right to access or correct your personal and/or health information. If you wish to invoke any of the above rights, please contact us on 13 10 50.

9. Contact us

For further information:

Website: Silica worker register notification
Online notification: Customer service centre - Enquiry form

Call: 13 10 50

If you would like to make a privacy enquiry or complaint, you can contact us at privacy@safework.nsw.gov.au.

SafeWork NSW
94-100 Donnison St
Gosford 2250 NSW

SafeWork NSW collection of Worker information from PCBUs

You are receiving this privacy collection notice because your employer is legally required to provide your details to SafeWork NSW for inclusion on the Silica Worker Register. This obligation is set out in clause 529L of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (Regulation). If your employer does not provide this information, they may be in breach of their legal duties and could face penalties.

1. Who we are

Your information is being collected by the SafeWork NSW Agency (SafeWork NSW). SafeWork NSW is the primary work health and safety regulator in New South Wales. It operates under the legislative mandate of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act) and is responsible for engaging with the NSW community to prevent work-related fatalities, serious injuries, and illnesses and securing compliance with work health and safety laws. On 1 July 2025, it was formally established as an independent regulator under the Regulation.

2. Why we collect your personal information

SafeWork NSW is required by law to establish and maintain the Silica Worker Register. Persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) must provide worker information to SafeWork NSW where workers are engaged in high-risk crystalline silica processing. The Silica Worker Register is designed to improve monitoring of worker health and provide better protection for those who may be exposed to silica dust.

Your information is collected for the following purposes:

Worker health monitoring: SafeWork NSW provides information to icare so that icare can identify at-risk workers and offer health monitoring services.
Regulatory compliance: to help SafeWork NSW carry out its role as the work health and safety regulator, including monitoring compliance and supporting inspectorate activities.
Health and safety research: to support the tracking of worker health and safety and the conduct of epidemiological research.

3. The kinds of personal and health information we collect

We collect the following information from the PCBU about you:

Your first name, last name, date of birth, phone number, email address
Date and location of where you commenced high risk crystalline silica processing
Whether the PCBU has arranged health monitoring for you in the last 12 months through a health provider other than icare.

4. Failure to provide information

Your PCBU is lawfully required to provide this information to SafeWork NSW under the WHS Act and the Regulation. Failure to do so may mean they are in breach of their obligations and penalties may apply.

5. How we may use this information

We may use the information collected for the following purposes:

Providing information to icare so it can deliver health monitoring services to eligible workers (529R(d)), Regulation)
Tracking worker health and safety and conducting epidemiological research (s 273B, WHS Act).
Supporting policy development, program management, evaluation, research, and service planning to improve health and safety outcomes
Establishing and maintaining the Silica Worker Register and assisting the SafeWork NSW inspectorate with compliance, investigations, provision of advice, information sharing, education, training, and enforcement activities under the WHS Act and Regulation.
Delivering targeted communications and other engagement programs to PCBUs employing workers who perform high risk crystalline silica processing.
Using artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to help process, analyse, or respond to information. All use of AI will comply with applicable privacy laws and data protection standards.
Other directly related purposes as permitted by law.

6. Who we may share your information with

Safework NSW will share your information with iCare for the purpose outlined above.

On 1 July 2025, SafeWork was established as an Executive Agency related to the Department of Customer Service (DCS). DCS will provide some corporate service functions to SafeWork under formal agreement and assist us with our business operations by providing software and storing data on our behalf. Further information on how DCS manage personal information.