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.
The use, supply and manufacture of all engineered stone will be prohibited from 1 July 2024.
Some exceptions will be made for the removal, repair, minor modification, and disposal of engineered stone products installed prior to the prohibition (legacy products), as well as appropriate exceptions for engineered stone products with trace levels of crystalline silica (under 1%).
Find more information on our website.
On this page
What is crystalline silica
Hazardous 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.
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 harms
Exposure 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.
How to protect yourself and workers
Eliminate or substitute the risk
Remove 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 hazard
Isolate 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 controls
Use 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 standards
From 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 monitoring
PCBUs (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 controls
Use safe work procedures, minimise the time workers perform higher exposure tasks, alert workers and visitors to danger, and provide information, training and supervision.
PPE
Provide 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 silica
Silica awareness and safety course
The 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 diagnosis
Medical 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 silica
Visit 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.
Resources
Silicosis safety video
Silicosis can kill, but exposure to silica dust is preventable. We're spreading this message by educating workers and the public about the risks of exposure.
You can help protect yourself and others by watching and sharing this video in which Dr Karl explains how you can stay safe if you work with engineered stone, concrete, bricks or rock.
In this video, Dr Karl explains how you can stay safe if you work with engineered stone, concrete, bricks or rock.
Cutting or grinding these materials releases silica dust, which is so small, you might not even know you’re breathing it in. Exposure can lead to silicosis. Which can be fatal within five to 10 years – sometimes for people as young as 20 or 30. Watch this 60 second video to find out how to stay safe.
Engineered stone
Visit our page about silica-related hazards for engineered stone businesses and workers.
Drilling in construction
Construction materials such as sandstone, concrete and bricks can contain up to 90% silica dust. When drilling on these materials, you can generate and breathe in fine crystalline silica dust, which can cause serious illnesses such as silicosis and lung cancer. This helpful video provides advice on planning your job and using the correct safety controls to help protect workers and others from silica dust on site.
Demolition and excavation
Fine crystalline silica dust can be generated when carrying out demolition and excavation work, which can be harmful to breathe in, and can lead to serious and sometimes fatal illness. Exposure to silica dust when drilling materials can be minimised by using the right tools and protective equipment. If you work with a drill or near those who do, watch this video.
Other resources for managing silica in construction
- Safety checklist for site supervisors and principal contractors – Silica safety in construction (PDF, 459.73 KB)
- Toolbox talk for site supervisors to provide safety advice to workers who may encounter silica dust on the job - Silica in construction (PDF, 553.94 KB)
- Poster about hazardous dust in the workplace - Dust in construction (PDF, 443.69 KB)
- Silica safety in construction webinar
- Managing the risks of hazardous chemicals in the workplace – Code of practice
Controlled cutting videos
Controlled cutting of bricks and concrete using on-tool capture
On-tool dust capture is an effective way to eliminate and reduce exposure to silica dust. This video safety alert highlights how to use on-tool dust capture to ensure the safe cutting of materials such as bricks and concrete.
Chinese - 使用带集尘装置的电动工具是消除或减少工人接触二氧化硅粉尘的有效方法。这个视频的安全警报重点介绍了如何使用工具上的集尘装置来确保工人可以安全切割砖块或混凝土等材料。
Arabic - استعمال آلات شفط والتقاط الغبار هي طريقة فعالة جداً للتخلص من غبار السيليكا. هذا الفيديو للتوعية عن استعمال هذه الآلات التي تستخدم لقص الأحجار والإسمنت
Controlled cutting of bricks and concrete using water
Using water to control dust while cutting materials such as brick or concrete is a very effective way to eliminate and reduce exposure to silica dust. This video safety alert highlights how to use water to control dust.
Chinese - 在切割砖块或混凝土等材料时用水抑制粉尘是消除和减少工人接触二氧化硅粉尘的非常有效的方法。该视频安全警报重点介绍了如何用水抑制粉尘。
Arabic - استعمال المياه لإلتقاط الغبار هي طريقة فعالة جداً للتخلص من غبار السيليكا. هذا الفيديو للتوعية عن استعمال المياه خلال قص الأحجار والإسمنت
Silica safety video safety alert
This video is also available in:
Other resources
Learn more about crystalline silica harms, where it's found and other relevant publications.
Webinar for local government
Watch a recording of the Working with Crystalline Silica Webinar, conducted by SafeWork NSW and the Office of Local Government. The webinar covers:
- what is crystalline silica
- where it is found
- health hazards from exposure
- who is at risk
- how to reduce exposure
- health monitoring and lung screening information
- where Councils can find information about health monitoring and lung screening.
Safe Work Australia
Safe Work Australia has a range of guidance materials in relation to health monitoring:
- Health monitoring for exposure to hazardous chemicals – guide for persons conducting a business or undertaking
- Health monitoring for exposure to hazardous chemicals – guide for workers
- Breathefreely Australia - Sydney Metro Silica Dust Case Study
- Health monitoring guide for crystalline silica
- Working with silica and silica containing products guide
- Crystalline silica - Hazardous chemicals requiring health monitoring
- Workplace exposure standards for airborne contaminants
- Guidance on the interpretation of workplace exposure standards for airborne contaminants
- Health monitoring guide for registered medical practitioners
- Guide for tunnelling work
Publications
Read the crystalline silica technical fact sheet.
Read the crystalline silica general fact sheet in Arabic, Chinese, Hindi or Vietnamese.
Codes of practice
- Managing the risks of hazardous chemicals in the workplace (PDF 1.2MB)
- Preparation of safety data sheets for hazardous chemicals (PDF 1.8MB)
- Labelling of workplace hazardous chemicals (PDF 1.4MB)
- Construction work (PDF 1MB)
- Engineered stone
Australian Standards
- AS/NZS 1715-2009 Selection, use and maintenance of respiratory protection
- AS/2985-2009 Workplace atmospheres method for sampling and gravimetric determination of respirable dust
Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists (AIOH) Guidance
- Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists (AIOH) Position paper on respirable crystalline silica
- Find an occupational hygienist
Other Australian guidance
- Breathe freely website
- Silica site checklist
- Managing respirable crystalline silica - WorkSafe Queensland
- Managing respirable crystalline silica dust exposure in the construction industry - information for employers and workers
- Lung Foundation
- Work related dust diseases - icare
- Silicosis position statement RANZCR
HSE (UK) guidance
- Case study: Terry the former stoneworker suffering with silicosis (UK Health and Safety Executive) (Video)
- Introducing & Managing RPE in the workplace (HSE)
- Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) workplace fume and dust extraction (HSE) (Video)
- Breathe Freely website