We understand that our clients (that work with Silica in any form) now know about the Engineered Stone Ban that came into force on 1 July 2024, as well as the requirements for high-risk silica tasks which will be enforced on 1 September 2024 due to human health concerns.
All states and territories have now banned the use of engineered stone in all jurisdictions on 1 July 2024. Also, any tasks determined to be high-risk silica tasks will require the Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) to organise monitoring, health surveillance, provide training and have a silica control plan. If you are unsure, or require assistance, please contact the team at Helia EHS for guidance.
The ban will apply to engineered stone slabs, panels and benchtops. The requirements apply to any high-risk silica tasks from 1 September 2024. If you are unsure if your task is classified as a high-risk silica task, please contact us so we can work with you to ensure you are meeting your obligations.
The decision to ban engineered stone was based on a recommendation made by Safe Work Australia in response to the rise of silicosis diagnoses in engineered stone workers.
Based on Australian compliance obligations, engineered stone is defined as an artificial product that:
- contains at least 1% crystalline silica as a weight/weight concentration, and
- is created by combining natural stone materials with other chemical constituents (such as water, resins, or pigments), and
- becomes hardened.
Therefore, not all silica-containing materials will be banned and the expertise of our team at Helia EHS will be able to assist with the identification of high-risk silica tasks (i.e. those with the potential to exceed the 8-hour time weighted average workplace exposure standard of 0.025 mg/m3) with products such as concrete, cement products, etc.
In addition, there are still training, monitoring, surveillance and silica dust control plan requirements associated with the materials that are not banned. Helia EHS can assist with such requirements, which include control measures to manage the risks of exposure to respirable crystalline silica (silica dust) during the processing of materials that still contain allowable amounts of silica.
Based on the above guidelines and our experience around occupational exposure risks, the list of industries where robust silica controls are likely to continue to be implemented are as follow:
- Mining
- Quarrying
- Cement works
- Concrete works
- Brick making
- Brick masonry
- Any dust generating activities at work
If you are a PCBU, manager and/or worker in one of these industries, or an adjacent industry, or simply a consumer wanting to find out more information, this is readily available to you at the following links –
If you would like expert advice and detailed information regarding your obligations and how you can implement the necessary controls and requirements, please call Helia EHS or contact one of our friendly team members.