Respirable dust at a coal-fired power station should be treated as a planned, measured and actively controlled risk. Before anyone starts maintenance, cleaning, shutdown or materials-handling work, the site and contractors should agree on the dust hazards, controls, monitoring, responsibilities and records required for the job.
Queensland's Managing respirable dust hazards in coal-fired power stations Code of Practice 2023 commenced on 3 December 2023. It provides practical guidance for managing respirable dust at Queensland coal-fired power stations.
Information current: 8 August 2026. Local requirements vary, so check current regulator material, the applicable WHS or OHS laws and the power station's site rules before work starts. Safe Work Australia Model Codes provide general orientation but do not automatically apply as law in every jurisdiction.
Why respirable dust matters
Coal handling and power generation can expose workers to coal dust, coal fly ash and respirable crystalline silica. Respirable particles can be too small to see and can travel deep into the lungs. Depending on the dust and exposure, serious health effects can include pneumoconiosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and silicosis.
Higher-risk situations commonly include:
- unloading, crushing, milling, transferring or stockpiling coal
- damaged conveyors, leaking systems and accumulated spillage
- handling or transporting fly ash
- cleaning boilers, ducts, baghouses, precipitators and ash silos
- repairing dusty equipment before deposits have been removed safely
- major shutdown and overhaul work
- dry sweeping or compressed-air cleaning that puts settled dust back into the air.
Visible dust is an obvious warning, but its absence does not prove the air is safe.
What to sort out before work starts
Planning should involve the station operator, principal contractor where relevant, subcontractors, supervisors, workers and health and safety representatives. Shared duties need clear coordination rather than assumptions about who will supply controls or monitoring.
Before mobilisation or the pre-start, confirm:
- the dust types and likely release points for each task and work area
- previous air-monitoring results, similar exposure groups and known problem locations
- which fixed controls will operate, including extraction, suppression, enclosure or filtered cabins
- isolation boundaries, exclusion zones and access arrangements
- the cleaning method and how captured dust or waste will be handled
- whether exposure monitoring or health monitoring is required
- suitable respiratory protective equipment, fit testing and facial-seal requirements
- who will inspect controls, respond to alarms or exceedances, and close corrective actions
- how workers will receive results, instructions and changes to the work method.
What good controls and documents usually cover
The strongest approach is to eliminate dust-generating work where reasonably practicable. Where that cannot be done, use higher-order controls such as substitution, isolation and engineering controls before relying on administrative controls and personal protective equipment.
Practical measures may include enclosed transfer points, local extraction, wet suppression, sealed and pressurised cabins, restricted access, suitable vacuum cleaning and maintenance that fixes leaks promptly. Exclusion zones should account for nearby workers and changing wind conditions.
RPE must be selected for the contaminant, measured exposure, task duration and wearer. Tight-fitting respirators depend on the correct size, fit testing and a clean-shaven sealing area.
The document set will commonly include a task risk assessment or JSA, dust control strategy, air-monitoring plan, work method or procedure, isolation and permit records, RPE program, health-monitoring arrangements, inspection records, training records and corrective-action evidence. Queensland's Code states that respirable dust monitoring records must be kept for 30 years and made readily accessible to people who may have been exposed.
When a SWMS or another site document applies
Check the applicable construction rules to decide whether a SWMS is required. A SWMS commonly becomes relevant when maintenance, demolition, structural alteration or shutdown work includes a prescribed high risk construction activity. The presence of dust does not by itself settle that question.
Even where a SWMS is not the required format, the work still needs suitable site-specific planning. The dust controls should connect with permits, isolations, confined-space arrangements, emergency procedures and the station's contractor-management system. Avoid copying a generic dust paragraph into a document that does not reflect the actual plant, task or exposure data.
Practical warning signs
Stop and review the work when:
- dust escapes from an enclosure or suppression system
- extraction, water supply, seals or cabin pressure are not working
- settled dust is building up faster than it is safely removed
- workers enter a restricted area without the required RPE
- respirators do not seal, have not been fit-tested or are poorly maintained
- the task, material, wind, crew, shift length or work location changes
- monitoring results rise or a sample exceeds the applicable exposure standard
- workers report dust exposure, breathing concerns or ineffective controls.
An exceedance should trigger investigation of the task, conditions and failed or absent controls, followed by corrective actions and review of control effectiveness.
How Blue Safe can help
Blue Safe provides compliant WHS documents tailored to the client's activities, applicable Australian WHS/OHS requirements, jurisdiction and industry. This can include site-specific risk documents, dust-control procedures, contractor documentation, consultation records, training materials and supporting registers.
Blue Safe guarantees the document compliance of the WHS documents it provides, including eligible customer documents after Blue Safe has reviewed and upgraded them. Customers actively put the compliant documents into practice through controls, consultation, training, actions, records and evidence.