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Hazardous Dust, Fumes and Respiratory Hazards Risk Assessment

Hazardous Dust, Fumes and Respiratory Hazards Risk Assessment

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Hazardous Dust, Fumes and Respiratory Hazards Risk Assessment

Product Overview

Identify and control organisational risks associated with hazardous dust, fumes and respiratory exposures using this management-level Hazardous Dust, Fumes and Respiratory Hazards Risk Assessment. This document supports WHS Act due diligence obligations, strengthens WHS risk management systems, and helps protect your business from regulatory and operational liability.

Risk Categories & Hazards Covered

This document assesses risks and outlines management controls for:

  • WHS Governance, Duties and Legal Compliance: Assessment of officer due diligence, PCBU obligations, consultation arrangements and policy frameworks for managing airborne contaminants and respiratory hazards.
  • Hazard Identification and Systematic Risk Assessment: Management of processes for identifying hazardous dusts and fumes, assessing exposure pathways, and applying a structured risk assessment methodology across all work areas.
  • Design, Layout and Engineering Ventilation Controls: Evaluation of facility layout, local exhaust ventilation (LEV), general dilution ventilation, isolation and enclosure strategies to minimise airborne contaminant levels at source.
  • Plant, Equipment and Process Control: Assessment of plant selection, guarding and enclosure, process parameters, interlocks and automation to reduce dust and fume generation and worker exposure.
  • Hazardous Substances, Chemicals and Material Substitution: Management of SDS information, chemical classification, substitution with lower-hazard products, and compatibility controls for substances that generate harmful dusts and fumes.
  • Maintenance, Inspection and Air Monitoring Programs: Protocols for scheduled maintenance of ventilation and extraction systems, inspection of control measures, and air monitoring strategies to verify exposure levels against workplace exposure standards.
  • Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) Program Management: Governance of RPE selection, fit-testing, storage, cleaning, replacement schedules and compliance monitoring within a formal respiratory protection program.
  • Competency, Training and Awareness: Assessment of training needs, induction content, refresher programs and supervision requirements to ensure workers understand dust and fume risks and control measures.
  • Planning, Scheduling and Work Organisation: Management of work sequencing, isolation of high-exposure tasks, job rotation, and coordination of simultaneous operations to minimise cumulative respiratory risk.
  • Contractor, Supplier and Labour Hire Management: Controls for prequalification, information exchange, safe work interface arrangements and monitoring of third parties working in areas with hazardous dusts and fumes.
  • Health Surveillance, Incident Reporting and Occupational Hygiene Support: Frameworks for medical screening, exposure health surveillance, incident and near-miss reporting, and access to occupational hygiene expertise.
  • Emergency Preparedness and Incident Response for Fume and Dust Events: Planning for spills, releases, ventilation failures and fire-related fume events, including alarms, evacuation, isolation procedures and post-incident recovery.
  • Housekeeping, Contamination Control and Waste Management: Management of cleaning methods, prevention of dust accumulation, cross-contamination controls, and safe collection, storage and disposal of contaminated waste.
  • Performance Monitoring, Review and Continuous Improvement: Systems for auditing, KPI tracking, corrective actions, management review and continuous improvement of respiratory hazard controls.

Who is this for?

This Risk Assessment is designed for Business Owners, General Managers, Safety Managers and WHS Advisors responsible for planning, overseeing and reviewing operations involving hazardous dust, fumes and respiratory hazards.

Hazards & Risks Covered

Hazard Risk Description
1. WHS Governance, Duties and Legal Compliance
  • • Lack of clear WHS governance framework for managing hazardous dusts, fumes and airborne contaminants
  • • PCBU and Officers unaware of primary duties under WHS Act 2011 and WHS Regulations (e.g. Part 7.1 Hazardous chemicals, airborne contaminants, asbestos and lead)
  • • No documented respiratory hazard management policy or it is not endorsed by senior management
  • • Inadequate allocation of resources (people, budget, time) to manage airborne contaminants and inhalation hazards
  • • Failure to apply hierarchy of control to dust, fumes and vapours systematically across the organisation
  • • Non-compliance with exposure standards for airborne contaminants (Safe Work Australia workplace exposure standards)
  • • Poor consultation mechanisms with workers and HSRs regarding airborne dust and fume risks
  • • No formal process to review legal and standards changes (e.g. silica, welding fume, diesel particulate, lead, asbestos, fibreglass)
2. Hazard Identification and Systematic Risk Assessment
  • • No formal process for identifying tasks with high fume exposure risk such as welding, cutting, grinding, hot work, diesel plant operation or chemical application
  • • Failure to identify processes that generate harmful airborne dusts including silica, metal dusts, wood dust, lead, asbestos or fibreglass fibres
  • • Inadequate identification of diesel fume exposure risks in workshops, tunnels, enclosed car parks and loading areas
  • • Unrecognised risk of carbon monoxide accumulation where fuel‑burning equipment is used in partially enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces
  • • Lack of assessment of work in polluted environments or near exhaust fumes (e.g. loading bays, trafficked roadways, logistics yards)
  • • Incomplete recognition of lead abatement activities, lead paint removal and contaminated dust handling tasks
  • • Respiratory irritants and vapours from paints, solvents, adhesives and cleaning agents not incorporated into the risk register
  • • One‑off or infrequent tasks (e.g. specialised burn‑off or cutting harmful materials) not captured in formal risk assessments
3. Design, Layout and Engineering Controls for Ventilation
  • • Workplaces, workshops and process areas designed without adequate general or local exhaust ventilation for airborne dusts, fumes and vapours
  • • Reliance on natural ventilation in fume‑intensive environments or polluted environments where wind conditions are variable
  • • No engineered capture systems at the source for welding fumes, cutting fumes, chemical fumes or airborne fibre generation
  • • Poorly designed or undersized ventilation systems in spray booths, enclosed plant rooms and chemical application areas
  • • Inadequate isolation between contaminated areas and clean areas, leading to spread of harmful dusts and airborne pollutants
  • • Inability to rapidly purge areas of fumes in the event of accidental over‑application, spill, or excessive exhaust emissions
  • • Lack of consideration for ventilation when planning work near exhaust fumes or in semi‑enclosed loading docks
  • • Older buildings or temporary structures without modern ventilation or air filtration suitable for respirable dusts and fumes
4. Plant, Equipment and Process Control
  • • Use of high‑emission plant and equipment without integrated dust or fume control technology
  • • Inadequate controls on machinery that produces toxic emissions, combustible or irritant fumes during burn‑off or hot work on harmful materials
  • • Lack of engineered control for diesel fume exposure from forklifts, trucks, generators and other diesel‑powered plant
  • • Poorly controlled processes for handling and machining fibreglass, composites and other fibre‑releasing materials
  • • Ineffective isolation of exhaust systems from work areas, resulting in recirculation of exhaust fumes and airborne pollutants
  • • No standardisation of process parameters (e.g. feed rates, temperatures, ventilation set‑points) that influence fume and dust generation
  • • Inadequate safeguards on chemical dosing, mixing and application systems leading to excessive vapour and fume release
  • • Plant modifications and temporary setups (e.g. portable welding bays, temporary diesel generators) introduced without adequate fume control planning
5. Hazardous Substances, Chemicals and Material Substitution
  • • Continued use of high‑toxicity chemicals, solvents, paints or adhesives that release significant harmful fumes and vapours
  • • Use of products with inadequate or outdated Safety Data Sheets (SDS), leading to poor understanding of inhalation hazards and respiratory irritants
  • • Failure to assess fibreglass, resins, hardeners, isocyanates and other respiratory sensitising agents
  • • Reliance on hazardous materials that generate toxic fumes when heated, burned off or cut, such as lead‑based paints, plastics or coated metals
  • • Inadequate review of lead abatement procedures and materials before commencement, leading to uncontrolled airborne lead dust generation
  • • Poor labelling and storage systems for chemicals used in fume‑intensive processes, increasing the risk of misuse and over‑application
  • • No structured program to identify safer substitutes or less volatile products to reduce fume and vapour exposure
6. Maintenance, Inspection and Air Monitoring Programs
  • • Ventilation, extraction and filtration systems not maintained, leading to loss of control over airborne dust and fumes
  • • No scheduled inspection or testing of local exhaust ventilation, spray booths or on‑tool extraction
  • • Lack of routine air monitoring for respirable dusts, lung‑respirable airborne fibres, diesel particulates and welding fumes
  • • Failure to identify deterioration in plant performance, resulting in increased toxic fume exposure or carbon monoxide accumulation
  • • Inadequate response to worker complaints about odours, irritant fumes or respiratory symptoms
  • • Calibration and maintenance of gas detection equipment (e.g. carbon monoxide monitors) not carried out according to manufacturer’s recommendations
  • • Filters, ducting and hoods obstructed, damaged or modified, reducing effectiveness in controlling airborne contaminants
7. Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) Program Management
  • • Over‑reliance on RPE instead of higher‑order controls for dust, fumes and vapours
  • • No formal RPE program to ensure correct selection, fit, use, cleaning and replacement
  • • Workers issued with respirators that are unsuitable for the specific inhalation hazards (e.g. wrong filter type for toxic fumes or dusts)
  • • Lack of quantitative or qualitative fit testing, leading to ineffective protection in fume‑intensive environments or when working in polluted environments
  • • Inadequate supervision and enforcement of RPE use during fume exposure risk tasks and lead abatement procedures
  • • Failure to manage facial hair, medical contraindications and fitness to wear tight‑fitting respirators
  • • RPE not stored, cleaned or maintained correctly, increasing contamination and reducing performance
8. Competency, Training and Awareness
  • • Supervisors and workers lacking understanding of inhalation hazards, exposure pathways and health effects (acute and chronic)
  • • No training on recognising early signs of over‑exposure to fumes, respiratory irritants or carbon monoxide
  • • Inadequate competency for tasks such as chemical application, welding, cutting harmful materials or lead abatement
  • • Failure to instruct workers on use and limitations of ventilation systems and local exhaust ventilation
  • • Poor understanding of safe work procedures for coping with harmful dust exposure and dealing with airborne contaminants
  • • Temporary workers, contractors and labour hire not properly inducted into site‑specific dust and fume controls
  • • Language, literacy or cultural barriers resulting in critical information about respiratory hazards not being understood
9. Planning, Scheduling and Work Organisation
  • • High‑fume or high‑dust tasks scheduled concurrently with other activities, increasing the number of people exposed
  • • Inadequate planning of hot work, burn‑off, cutting or welding tasks in relation to ventilation, weather and occupancy
  • • Work in fume‑intensive environments or polluted environments carried out without considering duration, frequency and recovery times
  • • Poor coordination of diesel‑powered plant movements in semi‑enclosed or underground areas, leading to diesel fume build‑up
  • • No restrictions on working times or job rotation for tasks with significant inhalation hazards
  • • Failure to plan for ventilation requirements during chemical application in confined or poorly ventilated areas
  • • Unmanaged overlapping of processes such as painting, solvent cleaning and welding in the same space
10. Contractor, Supplier and Labour Hire Management
  • • Contractors performing high‑risk fume and dust tasks without equivalent WHS systems to control airborne contaminants
  • • Suppliers introducing new chemicals, materials or equipment that increase inhalation hazards without adequate consultation
  • • Labour hire workers not adequately trained or inducted into site‑specific respiratory hazard controls
  • • Inconsistent standards for welding fume control, diesel fume management and fibreglass handling between principal contractor and subcontractors
  • • Inadequate verification of contractor risk assessments and procedures for toxic fume exposure management
  • • Subcontractors bypassing site ventilation, extraction and RPE requirements to save time or cost
11. Health Surveillance, Incident Reporting and Occupational Hygiene Support
  • • Chronic respiratory conditions (e.g. asthma, COPD, occupational lung disease) not detected early due to lack of health surveillance
  • • Under‑reporting of symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath, headaches, eye or throat irritation related to fume and dust exposure
  • • No formal link between air monitoring results, health surveillance findings and review of controls
  • • Inadequate investigation of incidents, near misses or complaints involving inhalation of toxic emissions from machinery or chemical fumes
  • • Limited access to occupational hygiene expertise to interpret monitoring data and advise on controls
  • • Workers not informed of personal exposure results or health implications
12. Emergency Preparedness and Incident Response for Fume and Dust Events
  • • Lack of preparedness for acute fume releases, dust clouds or carbon monoxide build‑up events
  • • Workers and supervisors unsure how to respond to alarm activations, visible dust clouds or strong irritant fumes
  • • No clear criteria for area evacuation, work stoppage or escalation when ventilation systems fail or monitoring alarms activate
  • • Inadequate arrangements with emergency services for incidents involving toxic fume exposure, chemical spills or uncontrolled burn‑off
  • • Failure to capture lessons learnt from dust and fume‑related incidents to prevent recurrence
13. Housekeeping, Contamination Control and Waste Management
  • • Accumulation of settled dust on surfaces that can become airborne with movement or cleaning activities
  • • Use of dry sweeping or compressed air that re‑suspends harmful dusts and fibres, including lead‑contaminated or fibreglass dust
  • • Inadequate segregation of clean and dirty zones, leading to spread of airborne contaminants to offices, lunchrooms and change rooms
  • • Contaminated PPE and clothing transporting dusts and fibres off site or into vehicles and homes
  • • Poorly managed waste from processes that generate hazardous dusts or fume residues
14. Performance Monitoring, Review and Continuous Improvement
  • • WHS management system performance for respiratory hazards not measured or reviewed, leading to stagnation and drift from standards
  • • No defined leading and lagging indicators for dust and fume control performance
  • • Failure to act on air monitoring results, health surveillance findings or incident trends related to inhalation hazards
  • • Infrequent review of risk assessments and control strategies as processes and legislation change
  • • Limited involvement of workers and HSRs in reviewing effectiveness of control measures for airborne contaminants

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Legislation & References

This document was researched and developed to align with:

  • Work Health and Safety Act 2011
  • Work Health and Safety Regulations 2017
  • Model Code of Practice – Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace: Guidance on identifying, assessing and controlling risks associated with hazardous chemicals, including dusts and fumes.
  • Model Code of Practice – Managing the Work Environment and Facilities: Requirements for ventilation, air quality and workplace conditions relevant to airborne contaminants.
  • Model Code of Practice – How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks: Framework for systematic risk management and due diligence.
  • Model Code of Practice – Confined Spaces: Controls for atmospheric contaminants and respiratory risks in confined space work (where applicable).
  • AS/NZS 1715: Selection, use and maintenance of respiratory protective equipment.
  • AS/NZS 1716: Respiratory protective devices – performance and testing requirements.
  • AS 1668.2: The use of ventilation and airconditioning in buildings – Mechanical ventilation in buildings.
  • AS/NZS ISO 31000:2018: Risk management — Guidelines
Standard Risk Assessment Features (Click to Expand)
  • Comprehensive hazard identification for all activities
  • Risk rating matrix with likelihood and consequence analysis
  • Existing control measures evaluation
  • Residual risk assessment after controls
  • Hierarchy of controls recommendations
  • Action priority rankings
  • Review and monitoring requirements
  • Consultation and communication records
  • Legal compliance references
  • Sign-off and approval sections

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