Silica and Silicosis

22 May 2023

Approximately 587,000 Australian workers were exposed to silica dust in the workplace in 2011. It has been estimated that 5,758 of these will develop a lung cancer over the course of their life because of that exposure.

If the same trend of exposure is happening each year up until 2023, this is 7 million worker exposures and nearly 70,000 lung cancer diagnoses.

Under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act) it is the responsibility of the person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) to eliminate the risks of exposure to silica dust. Where this is not reasonably practicable, the PCBU must minimise the risks through a combination of control measures.

What is Silicosis? 

Silicosis is a lung disease caused by inhaling unsafe levels of silica dust.

People who work with certain materials may inhale a very fine dust that contains silica. Once inside the lungs, the dust particles can scar the lungs. This scarring is known as silicosis.

Silicosis can lead to breathing problems, a serious lung condition called Progressive Massive Fibrosis (PMF), or lung cancer.

There is no cure for silicosis, and it can be fatal.

Types of Silicosis: 

The 3 common types of silicosis are:

  • chronic silicosis — exposure to silica dust for more than 10 years
  • accelerated silicosis — exposure to silica dust for 3 to 10 years
  • acute silicosis — develops within weeks or months of exposure to silica dust
Where Silica can be found: 

You are at risk of developing silicosis if your work involves:

  • making and installing composite (engineered or manufactured) stone countertops
  • excavation, earth moving and drilling plant operations
  • clay and stone processing machine operations
  • paving and surfacing
  • mining, quarrying and mineral ore treating processes
  • tunnelling
  • construction labouring activities
  • brick, concrete or stone cutting; especially using dry methods
  • abrasive blasting (blasting agent must not contain greater than 1 per cent of crystalline silica)
  • foundry casting
  • angle grinding, jack hammering and chiselling of concrete or masonry
  • hydraulic fracturing of gas and oil wells, and
  • pottery making.
Further Information:

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