Working Safely With Crystalline Silica in Construction

What You Need to Know

Working safely with crystalline silica in construction

Crystalline silica (also known as quartz) is a natural mineral that is commonly found in building materials, such as concrete, bricks, mortar, and AAC panels. Crystalline silica is also found in engineered stone benchtops. Crystalline silica proportions vary from product-to-product.

When working with materials containing crystalline silica (e.g., drilling, cutting, grinding, polishing), very fine dust can be released into the surrounding atmosphere and can be inhaled by employees. This can place employees at risk of developing deadly diseases, such as silicosis, lung cancer, kidney disease, and autoimmune disease. To date, WorkSafe Victoria have received 88 silicosis claims from Victorian construction workers.

“This (fine dust) can place employees at risk of developing deadly diseases, such as silicosis, lung cancer, kidney disease, and autoimmune disease.”

Given the health risks associated with RCS, an exposure standard of 0.05mg/m3 as a time-weighted average airborne concentration over eight hours has been set for RCS. RCS is deemed to be a hazardous substance.

Under occupational health and safety law in Victoria, employers have a fundamental duty to, so far as is reasonably practicable, provide and maintain for their employees a working environment that is safe and without risk to health. This fundamental duty supports other, more specific duties, such as the duty to identify whether a crystalline silica process is high-risk crystalline work; the duty to prepare a crystalline silica hazard control statement before high-risk crystalline silica work commences; and the duty to control the risks associated with RCS.

Identifying high-risk crystalline silica work

The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (Vic) (the Regulations) sets out six crystalline silica processes, including cutting, grinding, and drilling into material containing crystalline silica. If one or more of these six crystalline silica processes is being performed and is reasonably likely to result in an airborne concentration of more than half the exposure standard for RCS (currently, 0.025mg/m3) or there is a risk to the health of a person at the workplace, then the work is considered high-risk crystalline silica work.

Employers have duty to identify whether the crystalline silica process(es) they are about to perform is high-risk crystalline silica work or not. An employer can achieve this through either conducting a risk assessment in accordance with regulation 319J(2) of the Regulations or by assuming the crystalline silica process(es) is high-risk crystalline silica work.

“Employers have duty to identify whether the crystalline silica process(es) they are about to perform is high-risk crystalline silica work or not.”

Preparing a crystalline silica hazard control statement (or SWMS)

Prior to high-risk crystalline silica work commencing, employers have a duty to ensure a crystalline silica hazard control statement is prepared for that work. A crystalline silica hazard control statement must:

• State the hazard and risks associated with the work
• Sufficiently describe measures to control those risks
• Describe how the risk control measures are to be implemented
• Contain material analysis, when performing tunneling or quarrying work
• Be set out and expressed in a way that is readily accessible and comprehensible to the persons who use it.

For high-risk crystalline silica work that is also considered to be highrisk construction work, an employer can choose to incorporate these elements into a safe work method statement (SWMS).

“For high-risk crystalline silica work that is also considered to be highrisk construction work, an employer can choose to incorporate these elements into a safe work method statement (SWMS).”

Similar to the requirements for a SWMS, work must be performed in accordance with the crystalline silica hazard control statement (or SWMS), and if the work changes or there is an indication that the risk control measures are not controlling the risks adequately, the crystalline silica hazard control statement (or SWMS) must be reviewed and, if necessary, revised.

Control of risk

Employers must control any risks associated with hazardous substances at their workplace, so far as is reasonably practicable. To do this, an employer must work through the hierarchy of control, in accordance with regulation 163 of the Regulations. An employer may need to combine controls (e.g., engineering controls and administrative controls) to ensure the risk is controlled, so far as is reasonably practicable. Some common examples of risk controls are listed below.

Elimination – Replacing a product which contains crystalline silica with a product that does not. For example, replacing sand containing RCS with crushed recycled glass.

Substitution – Replacing a product which contains crystalline silica with a product that contains a lesser proportion of crystalline silica. For example, replacing mortar with 60% crystalline silica with mortar which contains 15% crystalline silica.

Isolation – Keeping employees isolated from the dusty environment. For example, providing plant with a positive-pressure, enclosed cabin. Engineering controls – Using tools with on-tool dust extraction which is connected to a dust class M or H vacuum.

Administrative controls – Crystalline silica hazard control statements, job rotation, clean shaven policy relating to respirator use, and information, instruction and training.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) – Disposable or reusable P2 (or greater) dust masks or positive air purifying respirators.

WorkSafe Victoria has a great range of guidance to help ensure that you and your workmates are working with crystalline silica safely.

Construction: Preventing exposure to crystalline silica dust