The NSW Government has established a new expert taskforce to oversee and help address silica related health risks for workers in tunnelling projects.
The Taskforce, made up of Government, medical, industry and union representatives, will provide expert guidance to prevent and manage silica and other dust related disease associated with tunnelling projects in NSW, which present heightened risks for silica-related lung disease.
“The Minns Labor Government is committed to addressing silica dust work health and safety risks to protect workers. The Taskforce will give the community confidence that we have the right experience and expertise in the same room to guide the response to this risk,” said Minister for Work Health and Safety, Sophie Cotsis.
“I welcome the important work of the expert taskforce to protect the health and safety of workers. We have identified areas which will be addressed in a co-ordinated, transparent process which will help create safer workplaces.”
Four broad areas of action have been identified to help focus and guide the work of the Taskforce including:
Better use of data with more transparent access
Under the program, project persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) must ensure worker access to workplace air monitoring data with SafeWork NSW to make exceedance notification date publicly available and use the data to guide regulatory reform. SafeWork NSW will also partner with the Dust Diseases Board to establish data-driven research.
Improved health monitoring
Improved health monitoring will help to protect worker’s long-term health and safety. It will also play a key role in informing a continual improvement process for businesses and regulators in dealing with silica dust work health and safety risks. The Government’s commitment to the silica worker register is a key initiative to support improved health monitoring for workers.
Best practice Work Health and Safety controls
SafeWork NSW will review and revise the Tunnels Under Construction Code of Practice to guide industry and workers on best practice control measures. Major tunnelling PCBU will regularly meet to share information and experience, and to establish a consistent best practice benchmark across the industry.
Enhanced compliance
SafeWork NSW will maintain and reinforce dedicated resources to monitor tunnelling and silica respirable crystalline silica dust results to enable optimal work health and safety.
The Taskforce will also develop a tunnelling project silica compliance assessment to establish a clear set of criteria on which to assess the safety performance of projects to assist strengthened application of suitable controls to manage risk.
SafeWork NSW has surged additional staff into the Silica Task Force (STF) team, which is undertaking compliance activities in all tunnels under construction in NSW. Eight inspectors from the STF are undertaking these regular visits.
“SafeWork NSW is committed to maintaining leading practices to protect the workers of this State and is looking forward to working together with experts across Government, industry, unions and health to address this issue,” said SafeWork NSW Acting Deputy Secretary, Trent Curtin.
“SafeWork NSW will continue to work with industry to ensure compliance with existing safety standards and that workers are being protected against any potential exposure to silica dust.”
On January 1, the NSW Government welcomed the ban on the importation of engineered stone products to protect the future health and safety of workers. The national import ban covers engineered stone benchtops, slabs and panels with silica content of more than 1%.
This follows the world-first domestic ban on the use, supply and manufacture of engineered stone products in Australia that started on 1 July last year. The ban prohibits the manufacture, supply, processing and installation of engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs containing at least 1% silica.
The NSW government is also funding a team of dedicated silica safety inspectors to ensure businesses are complying with the strengthened laws.
Since September, the $2.5 million investment has seen a Silica Compliance Team conduct 140 inspections, handing out three fines totalling almost $10,000 for non-compliance. More than 125 improvement notices have been issued and seven prohibition notices in workplaces.
More information on crystalline silica and the new safety requirements can be found here: www.safework.nsw.gov.au/hazards-a-z/hazardous-chemical/priority-chemicals/crystalline-silica#new-safety-requirements.
