Crystalline Silica Exposure Prevention: Essential Workplace Training.
Give your workforce the ability to understand and manage silica exposure risks.
Silica awareness training is essential for ensuring workplace safety and health. Respirable crystalline silica (RCS) poses significant health risks including silicosis, lung cancer, and other respiratory diseases. Providing comprehensive training empowers your workforce with the knowledge and skills necessary to identify, understand, and effectively manage silica exposure risks. This understanding is critical for fostering a safe working environment and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.
This face-to-face and webinar delivered training program is designed to assist businesses to meet their workplace health and safety risks obligations by providing Regulator-approved silica exposure awareness training.
When does the silica awareness training need to be done?
Silica awareness training is crucial for workplaces where employees might encounter respirable crystalline silica (RCS). Current Regulations note an employer must provide crystalline silica training to:
- any worker involved in processing of a crystalline silica substance (CSS) that is high risk; or
- who is at risk of exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) because of that processing.
- If your workers are not undertaking high risk processing, you must still provide appropriate information, instruction, training or supervision to anyone who may be exposed to RCS at the workplace.
It is considered that this training should be provided at several key times:
- Prior to Commencing Work: Workers who will be exposed to silica dust need to complete training before starting any tasks involving materials that contain crystalline silica.
- Regular Intervals: Continuous training is necessary to keep employees informed about the latest safety protocols and regulatory updates. This can be integrated into regular safety briefings or periodic refresher courses.
- Role Changes: If an employee’s responsibilities change and they are now exposed to silica dust, they should receive updated training specific to their new role.
- Introduction of New Materials or Processes: Whenever new materials containing crystalline silica are introduced or there are changes in processes that produce silica dust, additional training should be conducted to ensure all workers understand the new risks and safety measures.
Providing timely and thorough silica awareness training is essential to safeguard workers from the serious health hazards associated with silica dust exposure.
This program has been designed to meet the updated Safe Work Australia Regulator approved training requirements for silica and RCS awareness. The updated online program was released on December 13, 2024.
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Onsite
To discuss your onsite training requirements please contact KINNECT Training
Contact usWhat You Will Learn
Silica awareness training is crucial for ensuring workplace safety when dealing with crystalline silica substances (CSS). This training covers several key areas:
- Health Risks: Understanding the health risks associated with respirable crystalline silica (RCS), including the signs and symptoms of silicosis.
- Identifying Crystalline Silica: Learning how to determine if a material contains crystalline silica, including common materials and products that may contain it.
- Safety Data Sheets (SDS): How to interpret SDS and manufacturer information to identify hazards.
- Processing Definition: Understanding what constitutes ‘processing’ of CSS and how RCS is generated during these activities.
- Exposure Standards: Knowledge of workplace exposure standards for RCS and how workers can be exposed.
- Control Measures: Requirements for controlling exposure to RCS, including the use of appropriate respiratory protective equipment (RPE) and ensuring it meets standards.
- Fit-Testing and Maintenance: Procedures for fit-checking, fit-testing, and maintaining RPE, including facial-hair requirements.
- Housekeeping: Effective housekeeping and cleaning methods to minimize RCS exposure.
- Regulatory Compliance: Understanding the requirements for silica risk control plans, air monitoring, and health monitoring as per the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011.
This comprehensive training ensures that workers are well-informed about the risks and safety measures associated with crystalline silica, promoting a safer work environment.
Respirator fit testing and fit checking can also be included as part of the program. Contact us for more details at support@kinnecttraining.com.au
Face-to-Face or Webinar
4 hour program
- Includes thorough theoretical program
- Conducted at our public course venues, via webinar or at your workplace.
Delivery Locations:
Public course locations are noted in the ‘Book Now’ links and include Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide.
In-house programs can be provided nationally at any site. Please contact KINNECT Training on 1300 591 548, on support@kinnecttraining.com.au or via the enquiry form on this page for a training proposal.
Online
This online interactive program is designed to be completed in under 60 minutes. You can complete it at any time that’s convenient to you.
If you can’t complete the course all at once, no problem. Come back at another time – you’ll never lose your spot!
In House Delivery (Onsite or Webinar) Course
Successful attendance of this course will result in the issue of a Statement of Attendance for Silica Awareness: RCS Exposure Prevention Course.
The program is designed to meet relevant Australian and international standards, relevant codes and guidance.
Online Course
Successful completion of this course will result in the issue of a Statement of Completion for Silica Awareness: RCS Exposure Prevention Course.
Who is this program for?
Under section 529CD of the WHS Regulation, businesses (PCBUs) must ensure that workers receive crystalline silica training if there is a reasonable belief that the worker may be:
- Involved in high-risk processing of crystalline silica substances (CSS)
- At risk of exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) due to high-risk processing of CSS
This training must cover the health risks associated with RCS exposure and the proper use of control measures as required by the Regulation.
There are no formal prerequisites for participation in this program though the following is recommended –
- Ability to particpate in a group setting.
- Ability to read and wite English to a year 10 level language and literacy.
For the online program the following is required –
- A computer or mobile device operating on a current web browser, such as Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge.
- It is expected that students have the ability to navigate an online program requireing basic compter literacy skills for completion of the enrolment and activities. Content is provided in written and verbal form during the program.
Course criteria
Under current State Regulations, a course meets condition for Regulator-approved training when it meets the following criteria (SafeWork NSW, WorkSafe QLD)
- Identify the health risks associated with exposure to RCS, including signs and symptoms of silicosis.
- How to determine if a material contains crystalline silica, including:
- an explanation of the forms of crystalline silica listed in 529A of the WHS Regulation
- the common materials and products known to contain crystalline.
- How to interpret safety data sheets (SDS) and manufacturer’s information, including the meaning of ‘processing’ in relation to CSS as defined by section 529A of the WHS Regulation.
- How RCS is generated during processing, how workers can be exposed and the relevant workplace exposure standards for the forms of RCS.
- What is ‘controlled’ processing of CSS under section 529B of the WHS Regulation.
- The requirements for the controls listed in subsection 529B(1)(b) of the WHS Regulation, how they work and how to use them.
- The types of respiratory protective equipment (RPE) specified by ‘AS/NZS 1715:2009 Selection, use and maintenance of respiratory protective equipment’, deemed as being suitable to protect against exposure to RCS.
- How to determine if RPE is compliant with the required standard ‘AS/NZS 1716:2012 Respiratory protective devices’.
- Fit-checking, fit-testing and facial-hair requirements for tight-fitting RPE in compliance with ‘AS/NZS 1715:2009 Selection, use and maintenance of respiratory protective equipment’.
- General housekeeping and cleaning methods to eliminate or minimise risk of exposure to RCS for CSS processes.
- WHS Regulation requirements for:
- silica risk control plans (or safe work method statements (SWMS) for construction work) under section 529CB of the WHS Regulation when undertaking processing which is high risk.
- compliance with a silica risk control plan under section 529CC of the WHS Regulation or, for SWMS, section 300 of the WHS Regulation.
- compliance with section 529CE including:
- determining when air monitoring may be required under section 50 of the WHS Regulation.
- providing the regulator with results of any air monitoring undertaken which shows the airborne concentration of RCS has exceeded the workplace exposure standard for crystalline silica.
- determining when health monitoring may be required under part 7.1 division 6 of the WHS Regulation.
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FAQ’s
Is this course nationally recognised?
No. This silica exposure prevention training course is a general awareness course and is not nationally recognised. It is however designed to meet the Safe Work Australia Regulator approved training requirements for silica and RCS awareness .
Who needs to undergo crystalline silica training?
Any worker who may be involved in high-risk processing of crystalline silica substances (CSS) or at risk of exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) due to such processing must undergo training.
What constitutes high-risk processing of CSS?
High-risk processing is any activity that is reasonably likely to result in a risk to the health of a person at the workplace. This includes tasks like cutting, grinding, or drilling materials containing crystalline silica.
What types of training are acceptable under the regulation?
Training must be either Vocational Education and Training (VET) accredited or training approved by the Regulator in your jurisdiction.
How long must training records be kept?
Training records must be kept for inspection while the worker is processing CSS and for an additional five years after the worker stops being employed by the business.
What are the key topics covered in crystalline silica training?
The training covers health risks associated with RCS exposure, proper use of control measures, how to identify materials containing crystalline silica, and regulatory compliance requirements.
HOW TO GET STARTED
Enrol Now
To enrol, go to the enrol now section and complete the enquiry details for on-site delivery. You can also call us on 1300 591 548 or email support@kinnecttraining.com.au.
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After successful online registration you will receive your logins directly to your inbox and you will be able to start the course immediately. If you are booking for someone else they will receive the access details directly to their inbox!
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