Request for Information: Changes to Silica Dust Requirements

Please note: on 16 June 2023, Minister Gentleman announced a three month extension to the 1 July 2023 deadline for all workers in the building and construction industry to complete their mandatory silica training. This means that workers must now complete 10830NAT Course in Crystalline Silica Exposure Prevention prior to 1 October 2023 to continue to work on a construction site in the ACT.

The ACT Government introduced Work Health and Safety reforms for activities relating to silica dust on 1 July 2022.

Under the new WHS Amendments PCBUs must not allow workers to undertake dry cutting, grinding, crushing, polishing sanding or trimming of materials that contain silica. PCBUs must implement a combination of control measures to manage the risks of exposure to silica dust, including:

use of water delivery systems
on-tool dust extraction
segregation of work areas, and
respiratory protective equipment.

The WHS Commissioner granted a temporary exemption for specific parts of these reforms on 13 July 2022, that will expire on 17 October 2022. This exemption applies to the above combination of controls when it is not practicable to do so for silica containing materials except engineered stone.

WorkSafe ACT needs your help.

During this transitional period, WorkSafe ACT is reaching out to industry to better understand where there may be technological or incompatibility issues with the use of water to control silica dust exposure. For example:

where there are tools that cannot be used or tasks that cannot be undertaken with a continuous water source, or
where water is incompatible with other products, such as steel or wood.

Some examples WorkSafe ACT is looking into are:

overhead drilling, grinding and sanding
drilling in certain circumstances such as on uneven surfaces for temporary railings and doorstops, and
creating precast concrete products on steel.

WorkSafe ACT is asking for your help to identify discrete tasks or materials where the new silica dust requirements may not be practicable.

If you have examples of these, please reach out to us at worksafe@worksafe.act.gov.au before 5 September 2022.