Silica dashboard

Silica dust is a major hazard for workers in NSW and can lead to the serious, and often fatal, lung disease -silicosis.
The dashboard highlights the work being done to help minimise, and work towards eliminating, this risk across NSW.

Latest news

Silica to remain a priority focus in SafeWork NSW’s new 2026-27 Regulatory Statement 

SafeWork NSW has released its 2026-27 SafeWork NSW Regulatory Statement (SRS). The 2026-27 SRS outlines SafeWork NSW’s regulatory priorities, compliance and enforcement approach and focus areas for the year ahead. Hazardous chemicals, in particular silica, continue to present significant risks for workers across a range of industries and will remain a priority focus area. 

Over 17,000 workers have been notified to the Silica Worker Register by their employer as of 30 June 2026.

The silica worker register launched on 1 October 2025. Any person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) directing or allowing a worker to carry out the processing of a crystalline silica substance that is high risk must register those workers. 

Silica worker register notifications are required within 28 days of workers commencing high risk crystalline silica processing work and can be submitted on the SafeWork NSW website. PCBUs must provide regular health monitoring to workers if there is a significant risk to their health from exposure to respirable crystalline silica.

The Silica Awareness & Safety TAFE NSW training course is now available in additional languages to increase accessibility for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) workers. The course is available in English, Arabic, Vietnamese, Korean and Chinese. Employers must provide training in silica to any worker undertaking high risk silica processing or who may be at risk of exposure to respirable crystalline silica due to processing work. Learn more about silica training requirements.

On 1 December 2026, the term Workplace Exposure Standards (WES) will be replaced by the term Workplace Exposure Limits (WEL) to align with internationally accepted terminology. Learn more about the upcoming changes to Workplace Exposure Standards. 

FY26 snapshot

Data is from 1 July 2025 – 30 June 2026.

52
Silicosis cases
160
Silica - related notices issued

Silica worker register snapshot

Data is from 1 October 2025 – 30 June 2026.

17,027
Workers notified to the Register
867
PCBUs that have notified workers to the Register

SafeWork NSW compliance activities

The following information relates to SafeWork NSW’s silica workplace visit program that commenced in 2018. Data is from 2018 to 30 June 2026.

7,647
Workplace visits

Silica-related

4,842
Construction workplace visits
999
Other industries

Includes tunnelling, manufacturing, foundries and stonemasons.

1,815
Manufactured stone visits

Notices

3,616
Improvement notices

Any silica-related improvement notice

231
Prohibition notices

Issued for uncontrolled exposure to silica dust

34
On the spot fines

Issued for uncontrolled dry cutting

Workplace exposure standard (WES) notifications

The workplace exposure standard (WES) for respirable crystalline silica (RCS) in Australia is 0.05 mg/m1. This is based on an 8-hour time-weighted average. There’s also an adjusted WES for longer shifts, like 12-hour shifts.

For any air monitoring conducted after 1 September 2024, it is compulsory to submit a notification to SafeWork NSW outlining any air monitoring results that exceed the WES. One notification may include one or more exceedance.

Since the WES notification system was introduced in September 2024, SafeWork has received the following notifications1:

2026Qtr 1Qtr 2 
IndustryJanFebMarAprilMayJune2026 Total
Tunnelling

1

7

7

2

7

6

30

 Construction

1

7

7

1

7

5

28

 Other Services

-

-

-

1

-

1

2

Non-Tunnelling

9

15

11

12

20

10

77

Construction

8

10

8

4

8

3

41

Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services

0

1

1

3

6

1

12

Manufacturing

1

3

-

4

2

3

13

Other Services

-

-

1

-

3

3

7

Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing

-

-

-

-

-

-

0

Public Administration and Safety

-

-

-

-

-

-

0

Transport, Postal and Warehousing

-

-

-

-

1

-

1

Education and Training

-

1

1

-

-

-

2

Professional, Scientific and Technical Services

-

-

-

1

-

-

1

Grand Total

10

22

18

14

27

16

107

Industry2024 (From 1 September)2025 (Jan-Dec)
Tunnelling3293
Construction3192
Other Services11
Non-Tunnelling18109
Construction966
Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services210
Manufacturing418
Other Services310
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing-1
Public Administration and Safety-3
Transport, Postal and Warehousing-1
Grand Total50202

 

NOTE:  This data excludes notifications from the mining industry. 

On 1 December 2026, the term Workplace Exposure Standards (WES) will be replaced by the term Workplace Exposure Limits (WEL) to align with internationally accepted terminology. Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBUs) are encouraged to review the list of exposure standards impacted by this transition that may be relevant to their workplace. 

 

Silicosis cases identified

Where volume of data is low, data has been grouped into categories to allow reporting while maintaining privacy principles.

Graph represents the annual silicosis diagnosis notifications to SafeWork NSW.

1 July 2025 – 30 June 2026

52 cases

52 cases are male. 

Silicosis sub-type

Chronic                                                 47
Accelerated<5
Acute<5
Not identified<5

Region of Birth

Australia/New Zealand                 21
Europe<5
Asia<5
Middle East<5
South America<5
Not identified20

Age groups

Under 21                                               <5
21-4011
41-7036
71-90<5
90+<5
Not identified<5

By industry (ANZSIC)

Manufactured/Engineered Stone (2090)                  10
Construction – site prep/heavy civil (3109/3212)26
Other16
Not identified<5

By occupation (ANZSCO)

Engineered Stone processors (7111)<5
Bricklayers and stonemasons (3311)24
Construction – site prep/heavy civil (7212/8219)   <5
Tunnelling (7219)<5
Other20
Not identified<5

Historical information

59 cases and 5 deaths
2024-25

NSW Dust Disease Register Annual Report 2024-25 (PDF 445.73KB)

64 cases and 10 deaths
2021-22

NSW Dust Disease Register Annual Report 2021-22 (PDF 542.96KB)

40 cases
2018-19

Prior to commencement of the NSW Dust Disease Register (data derived from icare).

115 cases and 10 deaths
2023-24

NSW Dust Disease Register Annual Report 2023-24 (PDF 728.25KB)

57 cases and 7 deaths
2020-21

NSW Dust Disease Register Annual Report 2020-21 (PDF 1.42MB)

9 cases
2017-18

Prior to commencement of the NSW Dust Disease Register (data derived from icare).

65 cases and 9 deaths
2022-23

NSW Dust Disease Register Annual Report 2022-23 (PDF 822.4KB)

107 cases
2019-20

Prior to commencement of the NSW Dust Disease Register (data derived from icare).

Resources

Crystalline silica
Engineered stone
Industry
Health awareness
Codes of practice and fact sheets
SafeWork NSW prosecutions

Footnote:

  1. WES data was correct at the time it was collected however may change due to the progression of data and the application of regular data quality reviews.
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