Starting September 1, 2024, Australian workers across various industries will benefit from enhanced safety regulations concerning silica dust exposure. This update expands protections beyond those working with engineered stone to include approximately 600,000 additional workers in fields such as road and rail tunneling, civil construction, quarries, mining, and road maintenance.

Following last year’s successful ban on engineered stone for kitchen benchtops, the focus has now shifted to safeguarding workers in other sectors who encounter respirable crystalline silica dust. The new legislation introduces comprehensive safety measures, including mandatory personal protective equipment, water suppression techniques, on-tool dust extraction systems, and local exhaust ventilation. High-risk workers now have the right to request a silica risk control plan from their employers, with work required to cease if the plan is not implemented. Non-compliance will result in fines, and affected workers must undergo specific training.

These regulations, which have been operational in Victoria, were adopted by safety ministers from all states and territories earlier this year. Notably, Western Australia has opted to exclude its mining sector from these new rules.

Paul Farrow, national secretary of the Australian Workers’ Union (AWU), praised the union’s advocacy efforts. “Over 600,000 workers face the risks of deadly silica dust; engineered stone benchtops are just one part of the issue,” Farrow commented. “We appreciate the action taken by state and territory ministers and Safe Work Australia to enhance worker safety.”

Farrow emphasized the importance of adequate resourcing for safety regulators to enforce the new regulations effectively. “The AWU will continue to push for strict adherence to these rules from the outset,” he added.