Every construction manager and site supervisor has heard the concerns grow over silica dust and its devastating health impacts. But now, when they discuss workplace safety, there’s a new tool in the picture—the Silica Worker Register. Since October 1, 2025, this digital register has become a cornerstone in the NSW Government’s efforts to protect workers exposed to respirable crystalline silica dust.

For those in the construction, mining, and tunnelling sectors, the register is more than just a compliance box to tick. It represents a proactive approach to monitoring and safeguarding the health of at-risk workers whose jobs involve cutting, drilling, grinding, or polishing silica-containing materials. The register captures essential worker details to ensure health monitoring is timely and effective.

Bridging Safety Ambitions and Practical Action

Workers and employers alike face the risks of silicosis and other serious diseases caused by inhaling fine silica dust particles—conditions that are preventable but often irreversible. The challenge has always been early identification and ongoing monitoring. The Silica Worker Register changes that narrative by enabling real-time tracking of who is doing high-risk work, where, and when.

This regulatory milestone arms businesses—known as Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBUs)—with the responsibility to register workers within 28 days of exposure commencement. It’s a crucial step to make sure health screenings happen early and consistently, turning awareness into action on the ground.

Registering Compliance, Registering Care

Beyond legal obligations, the Silica Worker Register helps cultivate a culture of care. It complements existing measures like dust control and personal protective equipment by providing data that can identify health trends and trigger interventions sooner. It’s a significant evolution in workplace safety where technology meets human wellbeing.

The NSW Government's commitment shines through initiatives that back the register, including the establishment of a dedicated Silica unit, investment in mobile lung clinics, and ongoing inspection programs. For construction leaders, embracing this register means turning regulations into a practical strategy that protects their greatest asset—the workers.

Every high-risk task recorded in the Silica Worker Register echoes a promise: every worker has the right to a safe job and a healthy life beyond the site.

After all, safeguarding NSW workers isn’t just about compliance—it’s about real lives counted, cared for, and protected.

Source: Build Australia