Where engineered stone is used in a workplace, duty holders have duties under both Part 4.1 and Part 4.5 of the OHS Regulations to control health and safety risks associated with exposure to crystalline silica.

This Code provides information for duty holders about meeting their obligations under both of those Parts of the OHS Regulations, and other specific duties under the OHS Act where relevant (eg employer’s duty to consult with employees).

This Code also provides information about how to identify hazards and control the risks associated with exposure to crystalline silica when working with engineered stone.

The Hazardous substances compliance code provides practical guidance on how to comply with duties under Part 4.1 of the OHS Regulations.

Working with materials other than engineered stone that generate crystalline silica dust is not within the scope of this Code. Such work may be high risk crystalline silica work, which is work performed in connection with a crystalline silica process that is reasonably likely to result in an airborne concentration of respirable crystalline silica that exceeds half the exposure standard for respirable crystalline silica; or a risk to the health of a person at the workplace. OHS Regulations.

A crystalline silica process consists of one or more of the following processes carried out at a workplace:

• the use of a power tool or other form of mechanical plant to cut, grind, polish or crush material containing crystalline silica, or to carry out any other activity involving material containing crystalline silica that generates crystalline silica dust
• the use of a roadheader on an excavated face if the material in the face contains crystalline silica
• a process that exposes a person to crystalline silica dust arising from the manufacture or handling of material that contains crystalline silica
• the mechanical screening of crushed material containing crystalline silica • a quarrying process involving material containing crystalline silica
• a tunnelling process involving material containing crystalline silica
• a process determined by WorkSafe to be a crystalline silica process.

For more information on working with silicacontaining materials other than engineered stone, go to the WorkSafe website at worksafe.vic.gov.au/crystalline-silica.

It is not possible for this Code to deal with every risk associated with working with engineered stone. The guidance in this Code needs to be considered with regard to the particular activities undertaken and the characteristics and circumstances of the workplace.