Silica Dust SWMS

Product Overview

This SWMS covers work that may generate silica dust, including planning, setting up controls, cutting, drilling, grinding, extraction, clean-up and sign-off. It supports planning and risk management for respirable silica, airborne dust, slurry, tool hazards, electrical contact, noise and contamination transfer.

Activities & Specific Tasks Covered

This document includes task-specific risk controls for:

• Review materials, silica content and the proposed work method
• Set up exclusion zones and manage dust migration
• Inspect tools, extraction equipment and dust collectors
• Fit and check respiratory protection
• Position wet-cutting equipment
• Cut and drill materials
• Grind and finish surfaces
• Operate and monitor dust extraction systems
• Manage dust in enclosed areas
• Control slurry and settled dust
• Bag waste, decontaminate and complete sign-off

Who is this for?

Suitable for contractors, workers, supervisors and businesses carrying out activities that may generate silica dust.

Specific Job Steps & Hazards Covered

Legislation & References

The template includes references relevant to the documented work, including:

• Applicable Commonwealth, state or territory WHS/OHS legislation and regulations: apply the local PCBU/employer duties for consultation, risk management, hazardous chemicals or substances, airborne contaminants, plant, PPE, health monitoring and construction work. Confirm jurisdiction-specific requirements before work starts.
• Model Code of Practice: Managing risks of respirable crystalline silica in the workplace. Use as guidance only unless adopted or approved in the relevant jurisdiction. It identifies silica-containing materials, silica-processing activities and the need for combined controls.
• Model Code of Practice: How to manage work health and safety risks; Managing the work environment and facilities; Managing risks of plant in the workplace; Managing noise and preventing hearing loss at work; and Construction work, where applicable.
• Safe Work Australia Workplace Exposure Standards for Airborne Contaminants: respirable crystalline silica workplace exposure standard is 0.05 mg/m³ as an 8-hour TWA; treat this as a maximum, not a safe threshold, and aim to minimise exposure.
• AS/NZS 1715:2009 Selection, use and maintenance of respiratory protective equipment; AS/NZS 1716:2012 Respiratory protective devices; AS 2985 Workplace atmospheres—sampling and gravimetric determination of respirable dust.
• AS/NZS 3760 In-service safety inspection and testing of electrical equipment; AS/NZS 3012 Electrical installations—Construction and demolition sites; AS/NZS 1270 Acoustics—Hearing protectors; AS/NZS 1337.1 Personal eye-protection; AS 2210.3 Safety footwear.
• National engineered-stone prohibition: do not manufacture, supply, process or install prohibited engineered stone benchtops, panels or slabs. Verify whether material is legacy engineered stone and whether any narrowly permitted removal, repair, minor modification, sampling or disposal work is controlled under applicable law.

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Standard SWMS Features (Click to Expand)

• Task-specific job steps, hazards and control measures
• Initial and residual risk ratings
• Assigned responsible persons for each job step
• Plant, equipment and PPE requirements where applicable
• Permits, qualifications and high-risk construction work details where applicable
• Worker consultation, sign-off and review sections