Recently, the New South Wales (NSW) Government embarked on a critical mission to tackle one of the most pressing issues faced by construction workers – silica dust exposure.
Silica dust, a byproduct of construction activities, poses significant health risks to workers if not properly managed. In response, the NSW Government has launched a six-month campaign aimed at raising awareness and implementing measures to reduce silica dust exposure among construction workers. This initiative underscores the importance of proactive measures to safeguard the health and well-being of those in the industry.
The news comes as the NSW government plans to support a ban on engineered stone in the national meeting of Work Health and Safety ministers and plans to act unilaterally if an agreement is not made.
“Exposure to silica dust is an incredibly serious issue for workers in a range of industries and we must learn from the hard lessons of asbestos,” Minister for Work Health and Safety Sophie Cotsis said.
SafeWork NSW’s zero-tolerance approach to tackling silica dust also includes issuing stop-work notices for workplaces that generate high levels of dust and those that fail to place the appropriate dust control measures. Additionally, employers can be given penalties of up to $130,000 if they fail to comply with notices.
As a result of adhering to the new campaign and compliance, the adoption of advanced cleaning solutions, such as Tennant cleaning machines, emerges as a pivotal strategy in helping mitigate silica dust hazards and promoting safer work environments. Tennant’s industrial scrubbers and high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) optioned sweepers are engineered with cutting-edge technology to efficiently combat fine dust, aligning perfectly with the goals of the NSW Government’s campaign.
Tennant’s silica dust control solutions work alongside businesses that aim to achieve three valuable outcomes.
- Maintain air quality: Work to manage silica dust and mitigate respirable dust.
- Help maintain WHS compliance: Support businesses customised silica dust control plan and work toward WHS compliance.
- Create healthy environments: Promote safe, healthy and productive work environments.
Tennant’s range of industrial sweepers feature available options such as a pressurised cabin, dust suppression skirts, and of course, HEPA filtration systems to support silica dust exposure control plans. These filtration systems, available in-cabin and on-hopper, efficiently capture and contain particles as small as 0.3 microns, including silica dust.
Southside Sweeping’s director of operations and maintenance Roger Domrow expressed praise for the significance of Tennant’s sweepers within the industry.
“Using Tennant means we can ensure that we can improve the air quality and maintain the level of dust control effectively and efficiently for that specific site,” he said.
“We will only use the best, most innovative Tennant power sweeping and scrubbing machinery in our market.”
Silica dust exposure poses a health risk to your employees and can be a challenge to control in many work environments. With proper engineering controls and effective housekeeping practices, controlling the fine dust with a Tennant solution is achievable. With the right tools and technologies, you can work to create safe, healthy and productive work environments, and work toward WHS compliance.