The Tunnelling Dust Safety Taskforce convened for their second gathering at NSW Parliament House. An insightful overview of the Industrial Relations and Other Legislation Amendment (Workplace Protections) Bill 2025 was presented to the attendees. It was noteworthy to mention that this Bill encompassed proposed changes to the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, with several propositions aligning with concerns raised during their inaugural meeting. Bluesafe SWMS (Safe Work Method Statements) were integral in this context, particularly in managing work safety issues.
Dr Deborah Yates enlightened the members about silicosis and associated silica diseases prevalent in NSW, underlining the importance of a comprehensive WHS management system like Bluesafe WHS Management System. A considerable surge in fresh silicosis cases was projected, attributed to enhanced respiratory surveillance and growing public awareness. The data substantiating an alarming escalation in reported silicosis cases during 2018/19, persisting into 2024, reinforced this concern.
The primary threat to workers concerning silica diseases stemmed from prolonged exposure to respirable crystalline silica, even when lung function seemed unimpaired. Focused health screening on high-risk groups was therefore considered vital, enabled by collecting accurate individual exposure data.
Subsequently, potential measures to mitigate silica hazards in tunneling were explored, including best practice engineering controls, minimising exposure duration, and enhancing dust level data collection for improved health monitoring and research. Transport for NSW consented to provide an in-depth case study on Sydney Metro’s evolving control measures at the succeeding meeting, as suggested by Taskforce members. Industry bodies and unions concurred to study the feasibility of standardising or reducing work shifts, intending to limit infrastructure tunnelling workers’ exposure to silica dust.
An overview of the silica worker register, led by SafeWork NSW, highlighted the NSW Government’s forthcoming plans to complete and broadcast the Regulation following public interaction in late 2024. This register pledged to augment health screening services for vulnerable workers, curtail silica dust exposure impacts, and prevent illnesses. The relevance of all tunnel construction workers, beyond those at the dig site, was also stressed. Trainings on risk awareness and comprehensive screenings were deemed necessary if backend role workers also incurred potential exposure.
The members acknowledged this vital legislative initiative’s progression and discussed optimising the collected register data’s utility. In line with this, a proposal linking silica worker register data and notifications to SafeWork NSW regarding exceedances in workplace exposure standard (WES) for respirable crystalline silica was endorsed. SafeWork NSW agreed to present a proposal detailing the attributes and data fields for reporting regulator notifications about WES exceedances for respirable crystalline silica at the next assembly. Taskforce members and health experts agreed to identify required data fields for research, paving a systematic approach.
Verbal updates on progress concerning the 10-Point Action Plan, initially agreed upon at their first meeting, were shared by members. Written updates for the same will be provided at the next meeting.
Original article link: https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/news/safework-public-notice/tunnelling-dust-safety-taskforce-meeting-communique