What must Victorian manufacturers do about silica dust exposure?

What must Victorian manufacturers do about silica dust exposure?

Any employer whose workers cut, grind, drill or polish concrete, tile, stone or similar materials must keep respirable crystalline silica exposure below a legal limit, control it at the source, and monitor it where there's uncertainty. This isn't just a stonemason issue — foundries, precast concrete, tile manufacturing and general fabrication all generate it too.

What is crystalline silica, and why does it matter on a factory floor?

Crystalline silica is a natural mineral found in materials most manufacturers already handle: concrete (up to 30%), brick (5–15%), porcelain (14–18%), granite (25–60%) and engineered stone (1% or more, and often as high as 95%) (WorkSafe Victoria). Cutting, grinding, drilling or polishing these materials releases fine dust — some particles small enough that you can't see them — that can be inhaled deep into the lungs.

Exposure is linked to silicosis (an incurable, scarring lung disease), lung cancer, kidney disease, autoimmune disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (WorkSafe Victoria). As at 29 February 2024, WorkSafe Victoria had received 669 silicosis-related compensation claims, a toll the regulator has described as workers being diagnosed with a "debilitating and potentially deadly disease" (WorkSafe Victoria, 29 February 2024).

What's the legal exposure limit for silica dust in Victoria?

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (Vic), employers must ensure employees aren't exposed to respirable crystalline silica above the workplace exposure standard: 0.05 mg/m³ as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) over a 5-day week (WorkSafe Victoria, reviewed 1 July 2024). That's the legal ceiling — but WorkSafe Victoria recommends a more cautious internal target of below 0.02 mg/m³ 8-hour TWA to meaningfully reduce silicosis and lung cancer risk, so treat 0.05 mg/m³ as the line you should never get near, not a number to design around.

Is engineered stone banned in Victorian workplaces?

Yes. From 1 July 2024, the manufacture, supply, processing or installation of engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs has been banned in Victoria (WorkSafe Victoria). There are limited exceptions: removal, repair or minor modification of stone installed before the ban, disposal of installed or uninstalled product, research and analysis, and sampling to identify material. Engineered stone with trace crystalline silica content — under 1% — also falls outside the ban. Where permitted work on engineered stone does occur, it's still treated as high-risk crystalline silica work and the full control obligations apply.

When must an employer run air monitoring or health monitoring?

These are two different duties, and Victorian employers can be caught out mixing them up.

1. Atmospheric (air) monitoring is required if you're not sure whether employees are exposed above the exposure standard, or you can't otherwise work out the risk to their health (WorkSafe Victoria). If you already know your controls keep exposure well under the standard, you don't automatically need air monitoring — but you need evidence for that judgement.
2. Health monitoring must be provided if exposure to crystalline silica is reasonably likely to adversely affect an employee's health. It starts with a baseline assessment before high-risk work begins, and continues at intervals set by the registered medical practitioner — commonly annually for workers with ongoing significant exposure.

Health monitoring reports must be kept for at least 30 years under the OHS Regulations, must be given to the employee as soon as reasonably possible, and remain the employee's personal record even after they leave (WorkSafe Victoria).

What's changing on 1 December 2026?

This is worth flagging now, because it lands in a few months. Work health and safety ministers have agreed to rename the Workplace Exposure Standards (WES) list as Workplace Exposure Limits (WEL) nationally, with a harmonised transition period ending 30 November 2026 and the new WEL list taking effect from 1 December 2026, once implemented into each jurisdiction's WHS laws (Safe Work Australia). Until then, Victorian employers must keep complying with the current WES list — nothing changes today.

Respirable crystalline silica is one of a small group of substances — alongside formaldehyde, benzene and several others — that Safe Work Australia has flagged for additional impact analysis before its specific WEL value is finalised (Safe Work Australia). In practice: expect the silica limit to be reviewed as part of this transition, but don't assume a new number yet — watch WorkSafe Victoria and Safe Work Australia guidance as the December 2026 date approaches.

A practical control checklist

Control	What it looks like on the floor
Eliminate or substitute	Use pre-cut sizes, low-silica materials or off-site fabrication where practical
Water suppression	Integrated water delivery on saws, grinders and drills
On-tool extraction	Local exhaust ventilation (LEV) fitted to the tool at the point of dust generation
Isolation	Enclosed booths or separated work areas for high-dust tasks
RPE	Fit-tested respirators as the last line of defence, not the first
Monitoring	Air monitoring where exposure is uncertain; health monitoring where it's reasonably likely to affect health
Records	Keep health monitoring reports for at least 30 years

Where a safety practitioner fits in

Most manufacturers I work with aren't ignoring silica risk — they just haven't mapped which tasks on their floor actually generate it. A foundry shaking out sand castings, a fabricator dry-cutting concrete pavers for a customer job, or a workshop polishing tiles can all be generating exposure well above what anyone's tracking. Getting a safety manager to walk the floor, identify the tasks that matter and set up the right controls and records is usually faster and cheaper than finding out the hard way during a WorkSafe visit. If you want an outside view of where your silica controls sit, book a site assessment.

FAQ

Does the silica exposure standard only apply to stonemasons? No. It applies to any employer whose workers are exposed to respirable crystalline silica dust, including manufacturing, foundry work, tile fabrication, precast concrete and general workshops that cut or grind masonry products — not just the engineered stone and construction trades the ban targets.

What if I don't know whether my dust levels are above the standard? That uncertainty is exactly the trigger for atmospheric (air) monitoring under the OHS Regulations 2017 (Vic) — you're required to monitor when you can't otherwise determine the risk to employee health.

Will the exposure limit for silica get stricter after December 2026? The Workplace Exposure Standard (WES) list is being renamed the Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL) list nationally from 1 December 2026. Silica is one of the substances flagged for further impact analysis before its specific limit is confirmed, so a change is possible but not yet locked in — employers should watch for updated guidance rather than assume a number.

This article is general information for Victorian manufacturers, not legal advice. Last updated: 12 August 2026.