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Silicosis & Respirable Crystalline Silica Resource Centre

A collection of resources to help you understand the risks of respirable crystalline silica and prevent silicosis.

Respirable crystalline silica (RCS) is one of the most significant occupational health risks confronting Australian industries today. When workers cut, grind, drill, process or tunnel through silica-rich materials, microscopic silica particles become airborne.

Once inhaled, these fine particles can penetrate deep into the lungs and cause silicosis – an incurable and potentially fatal disease marked by progressive scarring of lung tissue. Alarmingly, silicosis is increasingly seen among both younger and older workers.

For employers, managing RCS risks is both a legal obligation and a moral duty. Australia’s regulatory environment has tightened significantly, with lower exposure limits, mandatory health surveillance, and, in some cases, bans on high-risk materials such as engineered stone. Non-compliance exposes organisations to substantial financial penalties, reputational damage and, most importantly, harm to their workforce.

The following resources provide you, as an employer, with the knowledge to create a comprehensive respiratory health protection plan that will ensure you’re compliant with state legislation, protect your workers from silicosis, and reduce compensation claims.

Learn About RCS & Silicosis

Guides, posters and videos for employers.

Prepared under the guidance of KINNECT’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Matthew Brandt, these resources provide practical strategies, compliance advice and health monitoring requirements for managing RCS in your workplace.

  • Comprehensive Guide

    Managing the Risks of Respirable Crystalline Silica & Silicosis

    A 13-page document that helps employers understand how silicosis is contracted, diagnosed and managed; meet evolving regulatory and legislative standards; and protect their workers from RCS exposure.
    Get the Guide
  • Short Guide

    Protecting Your Workers from Silica Dust & Silicosis

    A 4-page summary of the comprehensive guide outlining the risks associated with exposure to RCS, which tasks put workers most at risk, legislation and WHS guidelines and your responsibilities as an employer, best practice health monitoring, and what to do if a worker has silicosis.
    Download Now
  • Printable A2 Posters

    Silicosis Awareness Posters

    Two posters ready to download, print and hang in your workplace. Poster 1 – What You Need to Know About Silicosis describes what silicosis is, the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. Poster 2 – Your Guide to Preventing Silicosis lists simple ways that workers can protect themselves from RCS exposure and limit the risk of silicosis.
    Download the Posters
  • Video

    Controlling the Risks of RCS & Silicosis

    A KINNECT video discussing the controls needed to protect workers from respirable crystalline silica and silicosis.
    Watch
State-Specific WHS Legislation

WHS Legislation for Managing the Risks of Respirable Crystalline Silica.

Australian work health and safety laws require employers to implement robust risk management processes — including elimination or minimisation of RCS exposure, effective dust controls, and ongoing health surveillance for at-risk workers. These measures form the cornerstone of both compliance and worker protection.

All PCBU’s that expose workers to RCS must adhere to the Workplace Exposure Standard for RCS, which is 0.05 mg/m³ (eight-hour time-weighted average over a five-day working week). The WES must not be exceeded.

The Code of Practice on managing the risks of respirable crystalline silica (RCS) in the workplace provides practical guidance on how to achieve the standards of work health and safety required under the WHS Act and the Work Health and Safety Regulations (the WHS Regulations) and effective ways to identify and manage risks associated with RCS.

Below you’ll find links to the relevant guidelines for your state. We also encourage you to access Safe Work Australia’s Clean Air. Clear Lungs. page and their Silica Resources Page.

Queensland

New South Wales

Victoria

South Australia

Western Australia

Other Resources

How KINNECT Can Help

Compliant occupational health services for silica-exposed workforces.

KINNECT offers compliant occupational health services to help employers stay compliant with current legislation and protect their workers from silicosis. These services are overseen by:

  • Dr Matthew Brandt, KINNECT’s Chief Medical Officer, Consulting Occupational & Environmental Physician and Fellow (Specialist) of the Australasian Faculty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (AFOEM).
  • Dr Graeme Edwards, a Senior Consulting Occupational & Environmental Physician and Fellow (Specialist) of AFOEM. Dr Edwards was a member of the National Dust Disease Taskforce, which informed a national approach to the prevention, early identification, control and management of dust diseases in Australia, including silicosis (read the final report here).

  • Respirable Crystalline Silica Medicals

    KINNECT holds extensive experience in delivering and monitoring of RCS medicals and currently coordinates programs for many large multinational organisations working in the tunnelling, mining, and construction industries. Our RCS Medicals are overseen by Occupational Health Doctors with 25+ years’ experience and competency level 4 in health surveillance for all hazardous substances, including RCS.
    Learn More

  • Respirator Fit Testing

    KINNECT offers accurate and efficient Respirator Fit Testing onsite and in our clinics to protect the respiratory health of your workers with complete confidence. Our testing is overseen by Drew Bettison, a consultant with RESP-FIT Accreditation (an AIOH program).
    Learn More

Respirator brands we test

We can test all disposable respirators and most major reusable respirator brands. Fit testing for the brands listed below can be arranged — in some cases the appropriate adapter may need to be sourced beforehand.

Upskill with KINNECT Training

Programs from KINNECT Training.

Build your team’s knowledge of respiratory hazards and the controls needed to manage them. All courses are delivered by our sister business, KINNECT Training.

  • Respiratory Protection Equipment (RPE) Awareness

    By promoting long-term health and well-being this program empowers workers with knowledge and encourages safe practices. This Respiratory Protection Awareness Program contributes to compliance with regulatory standards and can prove to be an invaluable asset for both workers and employers.
    Learn More

  • Asbestos & Silica Awareness Online Course Bundle

    Combining two short online courses, this bundle is designed to help individuals working in high-risk industries understand the hazards of airborne contaminants. Each module is self-paced and takes between 40 and 45 minutes to complete.
    Learn More

  • Respiratory Protection Programs — Development & Implementation

    Designed for businesses that are required to provide respiratory protective equipment to staff, this program explains all the requirements outlined in the Standard so you can create a robust Respiratory Protection Program that reflects your business’s commitment to respiratory safety in the workplace.
    Learn More
Talk to a health surveillance expert

Protect your workers from silica today.

Tell us about your sites, materials and roles and a senior account lead will design a silica health monitoring program tailored to your workforce.

Get a Tailored Quote Call 1300 546 632
Silicosis & Respirable Crystalline Silica Resource Centre | KINNECT