Respirable crystalline silica is released when materials like concrete, brick, tile and stone are cut, ground, drilled or swept. The particles are small enough to reach deep into the lungs, and long-term exposure is linked to silicosis, lung cancer and other serious disease.
The exposure standard
Safe Work Australia's workplace exposure standard for respirable crystalline silica is 0.05 mg/m³, averaged over an eight-hour working day in a five-day week. That's a very small amount of dust, often invisible, which is why controls matter even when a site looks clean.
From 1 December 2026, workplace exposure standards are renamed workplace exposure limits, and a lower silica limit of 0.025 mg/m³ has been proposed. Check Safe Work Australia for the limit that applies to your site.
Why dry sweeping is a problem
A broom or blower puts settled silica dust back into the air where workers breathe it. Housekeeping on silica sites should use methods that capture dust rather than move it.
Better ways to clean up
Keep the machine part of the control
Filters only work when they're in good condition. Check, clean and replace them on schedule, and empty hoppers in a way that doesn't release the dust you've just collected.
This guide is general information. Check the current requirements with Safe Work Australia or your state regulator for your site.