Recycling and waste processing in Australia covers kerbside collection, materials recovery facilities, construction and demolition (C&D) waste, scrap metal, glass, batteries, organics and electronic waste (e-waste). Each stream brings its own mix of hazards, and the material coming through the gate can change from day to day.
Common hazards for recycling workers include:
Health monitoring is required under the model WHS Regulations when a worker carries out ongoing work with a Schedule 14 hazardous chemical and there is a significant risk to their health, when work is lead risk work, and for certain asbestos work. Workers who are frequently required to wear hearing protection must also have audiometric testing. In recycling, this may include:
Which workers to include should be guided by the site risk assessment and air monitoring results.
Employees Health doctors tailor the program to the waste streams on your site. Depending on exposure, it may include:
For crystalline silica, Schedule 14 monitoring includes medical and occupational history, records of personal exposure, a standardised respiratory questionnaire, spirometry (FEV1, FVC and FEV1/FVC) and chest imaging. See our silica health surveillance medicals page for more detail.
Workers in lead risk work need blood lead testing and medical assessment, at a frequency set by the Regulations and the worker’s results. Other metals, such as cadmium or mercury, may be monitored with urine tests where exposure is significant. Read more about lead health monitoring.
Audiometric testing is required within three months of a worker starting work where they frequently need hearing protection, and at least every two years after that.
There is no Schedule 14 test for biological hazards, but employers often include sharps injury procedures and vaccination advice, such as hepatitis B, in their program. Any needlestick injury should be assessed by a doctor promptly.
Employees Health can run recycling health monitoring onsite at metropolitan, regional and remote facilities anywhere in Australia, or workers can attend one of our clinics. We schedule around shift changes, weekend operations and casual or labour-hire crews, and can coordinate mobile chest X-ray where imaging is needed. A baseline assessment before a worker starts exposed work gives a reference point for later results.
The PCBU must inform workers about health monitoring, arrange for a registered medical practitioner with experience in health monitoring to carry out or supervise it, and pay for it. Health monitoring sits alongside controls such as water suppression, enclosed cabins, local exhaust ventilation, respiratory protection and sharps procedures. Our team can help you work out which workers and tests apply. This is practical support rather than legal advice; check your state or territory WHS regulator’s requirements as well.
Individual results remain confidential. The supervising doctor sends the employer a health monitoring report covering whether the worker can continue the work and any recommended changes to controls, and workers receive their own results. Health monitoring records must be kept confidentially for at least 30 years.
To arrange health monitoring for your recycling workforce, call 1300 880 804, email our team or contact our team.
It depends on what is processed. Workers handling construction and demolition waste may be exposed to silica and asbestos, battery and e-waste recyclers may be exposed to lead and other metals, and most sites have high noise. Employees Health can assess your waste streams and set up onsite monitoring such as spirometry, chest imaging, blood lead testing and hearing tests.
Recycling lead-acid batteries can be lead risk work, which is work likely to raise a worker’s blood lead level above 20 µg/dL (or 5 µg/dL for females of reproductive capacity). In that case, health monitoring including blood lead testing must be provided before the worker starts and 1 month after, then at intervals based on the results.
Yes. Asbestos-containing material can turn up in construction and demolition waste, so sites need procedures for identifying and handling it. Workers carrying out ongoing asbestos-related work with a risk of exposure must be given asbestos health monitoring, and the model Code of Practice recommends it at least once every two years.
Where workers must wear hearing protection because noise is above the exposure standard, audiometric testing is required within 3 months of starting and then at least every 2 years. Crushers, shredders, balers and glass handling can all push noise above this level.
Yes. Employees Health delivers onsite health monitoring at recycling, resource recovery and waste sites anywhere in Australia, including regional facilities. Testing can be scheduled across shifts to keep the plant running.
