Silica Risk Assessment and Control Plan

A practical, compliant document set for assessing and controlling risks associated with respirable crystalline silica.

Meet your legal obligations and manage the health risks associated with respirable crystalline silica with this combined Silica Risk Assessment and Silica Risk Control Plan.

Under Australian WHS laws, a business must complete a silica risk assessment before processing a crystalline silica substance. If that assessment determines the processing is high risk, a silica risk control plan must also be completed before work starts. In practice, many workplaces require both documents, which is why we supply them together.

Who are they for?

These documents suitable for construction, demolition, manufacturing, civil, landscaping, tunnelling, stone processing and maintenance businesses that work with materials containing crystalline silica.

Silica processing includes tasks where respirable crystalline silica dust may be generated, such as:

• Cutting, grinding, drilling, sanding or polishing concrete, bricks, tiles, pavers or stone
• Cutting or installing fibre cement sheeting
• Demolition of concrete or masonry structures
• Mechanical crushing, screening or handling of silica-containing materials
• Road, pavement or footpath cutting and grinding
• Tunnelling, excavation or quarrying through rock or silica-containing materials
• Fabrication, finishing or installation of engineered stone or natural stone products
• Cleaning or removal of silica-containing dust using compressed air or dry sweeping

These documents are intended for workplaces where one or multiple silica processing tasks may occur, including situations where combined exposures increase the overall risk.

When is the silica risk assessment used?

The silica risk assessment must be completed before commencing any processing of a crystalline silica substance.

When is the silica risk control plan used?

If the silica risk assessment identifies the processing as high risk, the silica risk control plan must be completed before work starts and kept available at the workplace. Both documents should be reviewed whenever processes, materials, controls or exposure risks change.

What’s included?

Both documents include built-in guidance and explanatory notes to help users understand what information is required and how to complete each section correctly.

The Silica Risk Assessment includes:

• PCBU and workplace details
• Worker consultation record
• Identification of crystalline silica substances and silica content
• Description of processing tasks and locations
• Assessment of frequency, duration and likelihood of exposure
• Consideration of airborne RCS concentrations against exposure standards
• Review of relevant air monitoring and health monitoring data
• Record of previous silica-related incidents or illnesses
• Determination of whether processing is high risk, with justification
• Clear next steps based on the assessment outcome

The Silica Risk Control Plan includes:

• PCBU, process and worker details
• Confirmation of high risk processing or assumed high risk
• Detailed control measures for each processing task
• Documentation of engineering controls, work practices and respiratory protection
• Implementation, monitoring and review of controls
• Training and competency requirements for workers
• Declaration and review schedule

Meeting your legal requirements

These documents align with Australian WHS Regulations and follow the guidance set out in the Model Code of Practice ‘Managing risks of respirable crystalline silica’. Together, they support compliance with assessment, control, consultation, documentation and review duties for silica-related work.

In Victoria, the silica risk control plan is called a crystalline silica hazard control statement. While the name is different, it covers the same requirements and this document can still be used. You may want to change the title of the document if you run a business based in Victoria.