The workplace exposure standard (WES) for respirable crystalline silica (RCS) has been reduced in Comcare jurisdictions.

From 1 July 2020, the WES for silica halved from an eight-hour time-weighted average of 0.1 mg/m³ to 0.05 mg/m³ under the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011.

The new standard was agreed by work health and safety ministers following an extensive review of safe exposure levels by Safe Work Australia.

Silica dust can cause serious illness and disease, and employers should keep worker exposures as low as reasonably practicable.

Air monitoring will need to be conducted If there is any doubt that the exposure standard is being exceeded or to find out if there is a risk to a worker’s health.

Under the WHS Regulations, employers must provide health monitoring for workers if they carry out ongoing work using, handling, generating or storing crystalline silica and there is a significant risk to the workers’ health because of exposure.

While there has been significant attention on RCS in manufactured or engineered stone, exposure risks extend to a broad range of industries.

Silica is widely encountered in extractive industries, in the manufacture of many concrete-based building materials, and finds widespread use in manufacturing processes.

Typical leading industries include construction, tunnelling, foundries, cement manufacturing, quarrying and mining.

When workers cut, crush, drill, polish, saw or grind products that contain silica, dust particles are generated that are small enough to lodge deep in the lungs and cause illness or disease including silicosis.

Comcare will continue to work with duty holders to ensure they are managing risks and applying the new exposure standard.

Article originally published by the Australian Institute of Health and Safety.

What is HSE Software and How Does myosh Work?

myosh is a cloud based workplace health and safety platform that works with you and your team.

Schedule an Online Demo

myosh is fast and fully configurable HSE Software that is easy to use and adapt for any Industries.

Over 50 configurable modules integrate to collect HSEQ data.

Modules are used to manage hazards, investigate incidents, manage risk, conduct audits and much more.

Our mobile app is used for fast data capture in the field, online or offline. Features include QR code scanning, digital signatures, Geo Locations and Geo Fencing, pdf export and more. You can configure mobile forms, visibility and functionality in your Administration panel

The myosh Dashboard provides powerful organisational insight by transforming your hseq data into intelligent visual charts, marps and tables. Up to date data is derived from modules and displayed in an interactive visual format, configured specifically for you and your team.

myosh is built on the Viking PaaS, a super configurable platform with powerful capabilities. Teams can quickly and easily configure the platform to their own very unique end to end process requirements.

We encourage you to treat your software technology like a team member. The myosh academy is designed to empower your team with the skills to ensure they use their software tools productively. Everyone learns differently, so the academy holds a variety of resources including videos, guided learning and verified online learning courses for each myosh module.

Your investment in myosh helps you and your team manage risk, compliance and improve workplace health and safety. Today, successful organisations view safety as an asset, and health and safety spending as an investment. This is because a safe workplace adds measurable business value, and can drive tangible improvements in performance, profit, and culture.

Ask our team for an online demonstration today.

More resources

The Facts and The Figures

Organisations are constantly reminded that health and safety failure is expensive. And whilst this is certainly true, there are benefits to health and safety success that go beyond cost-avoidance. Today, successful organisations view safety as an asset, and health and safety spending as an investment.

Download the report and discover the tangible and measurable benefits that health and safety initiatives can have on:

• Organisational Productivity
• Safety Climate
• Insurance
• Reputation
• The Bottom Line

myosh Academy

Your investment in myosh helps you and your team manage risk, compliance and improve workplace health and safety.

We encourage you to treat your software technology like a team member. The myosh Academy is designed to empower your team with Knowledge, Skills, Tips and FAQS, and to ensure they use their software tools productively.

• Watch videos
• View FAQs
• Take online courses
• Read articles
• Stay informed with myosh Updates