From 1 October 2020 to 1 April 2021, SafeWork SA undertook a compliance campaign (the campaign) focused on respirable crystalline silica (RCS) in the fabrication, construction, and mining industries. The fabrication industry included persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) using engineered and natural stone (i.e. monumental masons).

The campaign was based on the proactive RCS compliance campaign undertaken by SafeWork SA in 2019 (the 2019 campaign). The audit report for the 2019 campaign is available on the SafeWork SA website – RCS Compliance Program 2019 Audit Report.

The campaign was undertaken as a result of a recommendation in the 2019 campaign audit report. The objective of the second audit was to ensure compliance had been maintained, and that businesses and operators continued to understand their responsibilities to ensure the health and safety of their workers and others, and controls to eliminate or reduce risk remained in place. SafeWork SA broadened the scope of the campaign to include monumental stone masons, and mining and quarrying sites, as workers in those industries are at high risk of respiratory illness from inhalation of RCS.

SafeWork SA conducted 199 site visits and 71 compliance audits during the campaign.

A total of 102 Statutory Notices were issued where breaches of the work health and safety legislation was identified, consisting of 95 Improvement Notices and 7 Prohibition Notices.

The largest area of non-compliance identified in the campaign was the failure to conduct air monitoring to determine the airborne concentration of substances or mixtures to which a workplace exposure limit (WEL) applies.

30 stone benchtop PCBUs were audited, resulting in the issue of 69 Statutory Notices, the majority of which were for failing to conduct air monitoring, identifying the hazards of RCS, and implementing control measures.

8 monumental stone mason PCBUs were audited, resulting in the issue of 8 Statutory Notices, the majority of which were for failure to carry out air monitoring and implement controls to keep exposure under the WEL for RCS.

11 construction PCBUs were audited, resulting in the issue of 11 Statutory Notices for failing to ensure respiratory protective equipment (RPE) was a suitable size and fit for workers to use and wear, and to minimise the risks associated with exposure to airborne particulates.

22 mining and quarrying PCBUs were audited, resulting in the issue of 14 Statutory Notices for failure to conduct air monitoring and implement controls to keep exposure under the WE for RCS.

Of the industries that were audited in 2019, a comparison of results between campaigns identified that:

- 25 fabricators of engineered stone had increased compliance, with most maintaining safe systems of work that were implemented as a result of the 2019 campaign
- 11 construction PCBUs had increased compliance with documented safe systems of work and Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) for High Risk Construction Work (HRCW).

Australia has a WEL for RCS. A WEL for a particular chemical sets out the legal concentration limit of that chemical that must not be exceeded in a workplace. On 1 July 2020, South Australia implemented the new national policy for RCS WEL and reduced the limit for RCS to 0.05mg/m3 measured as an eight-hour time weighted average. This is consistent with other states and territories.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, PCBUs received advance notification of the campaign.

It is recommended that SafeWork SA:

- continues to provide information and education to PCBUs in accordance with the South Australian Government Strategy for Respirable Crystalline Silica Exposure Awareness and Reduction 2020
- communicates the outcome of the campaign to internal and external stakeholders
- maintains a focus on RCS exposure during the 2021 SWMS compliance campaign as the audits identified an improvement in the way construction PCBUs manage HRCW
- conducts a review of data to identify any stone benchtop industry trends associated with exposure to RCS in 12 months and conducts another compliance campaign if improvements are not being maintained.