A new Silica Worker Register (SWR) being launched by SafeWork NSW is set help to monitor and track the health of at-risk workers undertaking high-risk processing of crystalline silica substances (CSS).
Under the new Work Health and Safety Amendment (Silica Worker Register) Regulation 2025, persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) will be required to register all workers engaged in high-risk CSS processing as soon as reasonably practical and no more than 28 days from the date that the worker commences work.
“Workers who undertake high-risk processing of crystalline silica substances may be exposed to respirable crystalline silica dust, which can cause serious health issues, such as silicosis and lung cancer,” said SafeWork NSW Commissioner, Janet Schorer.
“The silica worker register is a valuable measure to ensure at-risk workers are receiving health monitoring and ensure any changes to an individual worker’s health are detected as early as possible.”
Processing of a crystalline silica substance involves tasks such as cutting, drilling, grinding or polishing. Silica dust-induced diseases such as silicosis, are caused by inhalation of very fine crystalline silica dust particles, with workers at greatest risk in the mining and construction, tunnelling and engineered stone industries.
Since January 2024 to present, over 100 site inspections have been undertaken in tunnelling sites in the Sydney metro area, while since 2018, SafeWork NSW inspectors have conducted more than 5,200 workplace visits related to silica. Over this period, SafeWork NSW has issued 2,496 improvement notices, 181 prohibition notices and 33 penalty notices related to silica dust across industries.
Tragically, there have been 516 cases of silicosis and 36 deaths due to the disease in NSW since 2017.
“This is an important step in the fight against silica-related illnesses,” said Commissioner Schorer.
“I call on all businesses to be aware of their legal obligations to register all workers who undertake high-risk processing of crystalline silica substances at their workplace.”
For more information, including details on how to register and what information employers need to provide, visit the silica worker register notification page on the SafeWork NSW website:
https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/notify-safework/silica-worker-register-notification.
