If your business is involved in construction, demolition, civil works or trades like bricklaying, tiling, or concrete cutting - the new Chapter 8A silica laws in NSW should be high on your radar.
From 1 September 2024, the NSW Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017 introduced Chapter 8A - Crystalline Silica. It’s a major change, and it applies to any process involving materials with more than 1% crystalline silica.
That means this isn’t just about engineered stone - we’re talking:
- Concrete and reinforced slabs
- Bricks and blocks
- Hebel and fibre cement products
- Ceramic tiles, pavers, and grout
- Quarry and road base materials
- Shotcrete and renders
- Recycled concrete and rubble
Who’s Affected?
The short answer: most trades on a typical construction site.
Whether you’re:
- Saw cutting concrete slabs
- Jackhammering footings or kerbs
- Laying and cutting bricks or blocks
- Mixing dusty tile adhesives or grout
- Handling demolition rubble
- Tipping dry waste
- Backfilling trenches with recycled material
…you’re probably exposing workers to respirable crystalline silica (RCS).
And if you're the PCBU (business or person conducting the work), you're legally responsible for managing that risk - and SafeWork NSW will be looking for proof.
What You Need Under Chapter 8A
If your task is considered a high-risk crystalline silica process (and most are), here’s what must be in place:
A Silica Risk Control Plan (SRCP)
This needs to follow the SafeWork NSW format and show:
- What you're cutting or disturbing
- How you're controlling exposure
- Who's responsible
- How it’s reviewed
Air Monitoring
Unless you’ve already got valid data showing dust levels are low (<0.02 mg/m³), you’ll need exposure monitoring. No data = assume high risk.
Health Monitoring
If there’s a significant risk (e.g. no dust suppression, or dusty environments), your workers need health checks - lung function testing, X-rays, and medical review.
Fit-tested RPE & Clean-shaven Policy
Paper masks won’t cut it. You need P2 or P3 respirators, fit-tested for every worker, and worn properly.
Worker Training & Consultation
All workers involved in high-risk silica work need training that’s task-specific, not just a generic toolbox.
What We’re Seeing on Site
At Aytrium, we’re currently helping:
- Builders and site managers bring their SWMS and procedures up to scratch
- Demolition and civil crews validate their controls with exposure monitoring
- Subcontractors develop SRCPs that are practical and regulator-ready
- Clients and head contractors understand their obligations across multiple trades
We’re not just about ticking boxes - we’ll walk the job with you, make sure the controls fit the task, and give you the documentation to back it up.
What You Can Do Next
If you’re not sure where you sit with all this, here’s how we can help:
- Review your existing SWMS, risk assessments or safe work procedures
- Develop a site- or task-specific Silica Risk Control Plan
- Conduct air monitoring to validate exposure levels
- Help you implement a compliant health monitoring program
- Deliver tailored RCS awareness training to your teams
Need Help?
Whether you're running your own crew or coordinating multiple trades, we're here to help you meet your silica compliance obligations without slowing down your job.
Call 0466 214 433 or email us today.