Key terms

Meaning

Crystalline silica

The crystalline form of the abundant naturally occurring mineral silica or silicon dioxide (SiO₂). It is present in almost all types of rocks, sand, clays, shales and gravel and in construction materials such as concrete, tiles and bricks.

Duty holder

Any person who owes a work health and safety duty under the WHS Act including a person conducting a business or undertaking, a designer, manufacturer, importer, supplier, installer of products or plant used at work (upstream duty holder), officer or a worker.

Engineered stone

Engineered stone² is an artificial product that:

1. is created by   combining and heat curing natural stone materials that contain crystalline silica (such as quartz or stone   aggregate) with chemical constituents (such as water,   resins or pigments), and
2. can be   manipulated through mechanical processes to manufacture other   products (such as kitchen benchtops).

Engineered stone does not include natural stone that has not been combined with other products or heat cured (for example granite and quartz in their natural state).

² Engineered stone does not include concrete, concrete products, cement products, fibre cement, bricks, blocks, pavers, autoclaved aerated concrete, roof tiles, wall and floor tiles that are ceramic or porcelain, grout, mortar, render and plasterboard.

Workplace exposure standard

A workplace exposure standard published by Safe Work Australia in the Workplace Exposure Standards for Airborne Contaminants.

Hazard

A situation or thing that has the potential to harm a person. Hazards at work may include, noisy machinery, a moving forklift, chemicals, electricity, working at heights, a repetitive job, bullying and violence at the workplace.

Health and safety representative (HSR)

A worker who has been elected by their work group under the WHS Act to represent them on health and safety matters.

Ingress protection (IP)

The level of protection offered by an electrical enclosure or casing against the intrusion or accidental contact of solids and/or liquids.

May

‘May’ indicates an optional course of action.

Must

‘Must’ indicates a legal requirement exists that must be complied with.

Officer

An officer under the WHS Act includes:

• an officer within the meaning of section 9 of the Corporations Act 2001 (Commonwealth)
• an officer of the Crown within the meaning of section 247 of the WHS Act, and
• an officer of a public authority within the meaning of section 252 of the WHS Act.

A partner in a partnership or an elected member of a local authority is not an officer while acting in that capacity.

Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU)

A PCBU is an umbrella concept which intends to capture all types of working arrangements or relationships.

A PCBU includes a:

• company
• unincorporated body or association, and
• sole trader or self-employed person.

Individuals who are in a partnership that is conducting a business will individually and collectively be a PCBU.

A volunteer association or elected members of a local authority will not be a PCBU.

Personal protective equipment (PPE)

Anything used or worn by a person to minimise risk to the person’s health and safety.

Required minimum protection factor

Minimum reduction in exposure required to reduce the wearer’s exposure below the workplace exposure standard.

Respirable crystalline silica (RCS)

Respirable dust (less than and equal to 10 micrometres (µm)) in diameter of the following CAS numbers:

• Cristobalite 14464-46-1
• Quartz 14808-60-7
• Tridymite 15468-32-3, and
• Tripoli 1317-95-9.

Synonyms:

α quartz, crystallized silicon dioxide, silica, calcined diatomaceous earth.

Respiratory protective equipment (RPE)

A type of PPE designed to protect the worker from inhaling an airborne hazardous substance. RPE includes masks and respirators.

Risk

The possibility harm (death, injury or illness) might occur when exposed to a hazard.

Should

‘Should’ indicates a recommended course of action.

Worker

Any person who carries out work for a person conducting a business or undertaking, including work as an employee, contractor or subcontractor (or their employee), self-employed person, outworker, apprentice or trainee, work experience student, employee of a labour hire company placed with a 'host employer' or a volunteer.

Workplace

Any place where work is carried out for a business or undertaking and includes any place where a worker goes, or is likely to be, while at work. This may include offices, factories, shops, construction sites, vehicles, ships, aircraft or other mobile structures on land or water.