Book silica health surveillance medicals for workers exposed to respirable crystalline silica (RCS). Employees Health coordinates baseline and periodic medical assessments, including appropriate respiratory testing and medical reporting, with onsite and clinic-based options across Australia.
24-hour medicals and reporting available for eligible bookings, subject to clinical requirements and appointment availability.
Silica health surveillance medicals are workplace health monitoring assessments for workers who may be exposed to respirable crystalline silica dust during the course of their work. These medicals help employers meet workplace health monitoring obligations, identify potential health concerns early and support safer work practices.
Health monitoring may be required for workers carrying out tasks where there is a risk of exposure to respirable crystalline silica. In accordance with applicable workplace health and safety requirements and Safe Work Australia guidance, monitoring may include baseline and periodic assessments depending on the worker’s role, level of exposure and clinical requirements.
Employees Health supports organisations with silica medical surveillance programs aligned with current workplace health monitoring obligations.
View the companies we’ve worked with across Australia as part of our broader occupational health service delivery here. Employees Health also supports organisations with broader health surveillance services across Australia.
Employees Health supports organisations across Australia with occupational health and health surveillance services. We provide a responsive, compliance-focused service model suited to onsite, regional and multi-site workforces.
Our approach includes:
Employees Health provides silica medicals through experienced occupational health practitioners. Our service supports organisations requiring silica health monitoring as part of an exposure response, ongoing monitoring program or broader workplace health and safety framework. Please see Safe Work Australia guide for Silica exposure.
A medical assessment covers the worker’s demographic, medical and occupational history, records of their personal silica exposure and a standardised respiratory questionnaire, along with any relevant symptoms or risk factors.
Spirometry is used to assess lung function and may form part of baseline and ongoing health monitoring for workers exposed to respirable crystalline silica.
A chest X-ray (full posterior-anterior view) forms part of baseline and periodic monitoring, read by a radiologist who meets RANZCR reporting requirements or is a qualified B reader. A low-dose high-resolution CT (HRCT) scan may be used instead of, or as well as, an X-ray where the supervising doctor recommends it, and is required in Western Australia.
We provide clear reporting and documentation to support workplace compliance, record-keeping and follow-up where required.
Under the model WHS Regulations, the minimum requirements for silica health monitoring are a demographic, medical and occupational history, records of personal exposure, a standardised respiratory questionnaire, standardised lung function tests (spirometry) and a chest X-ray. Health monitoring should begin when a worker is first employed or before they start silica work.
Safe Work Australia’s health monitoring guide for crystalline silica recommends spirometry at baseline and annually, and a chest X-ray at baseline and then every five years for the first 20 years of work. An abnormal X-ray, or increased or prolonged exposure (above the exposure standard or more than 20 years of work history), may warrant more frequent X-rays, for example every three years.
Low-dose HRCT is more sensitive than an X-ray in detecting early silicosis, and the supervising doctor may use it depending on the worker’s history and level of exposure. In Western Australia, low-dose HRCT is required instead of a chest X-ray: WorkSafe WA recommends annual health monitoring and spirometry, with an HRCT every 2 years for engineered stone workers with 2 or more years of significant exposure, and every 5 years for workers in other industries with 5 or more years of significant exposure.
For a plain-English explanation of each test and how often it is done, read our guide to silica health monitoring.
Silica health surveillance medicals are available by appointment for individual workers and larger groups. If your organisation requires silica medicals, contact Employees Health to discuss your workforce, locations and compliance requirements.
Led by Chief Medical Officer Dr Mike Shenouda, Employees Health brings 30+ years of medical and occupational-health experience to workplace health surveillance programs. We support individual workers, construction businesses, regional sites and multi-site employers across Australia.
Employees Health also supports organisations with broader workplace health monitoring and occupational health services across Australia.
You can also visit our Resources page for additional guidance, legislation and supporting information.
Employees Health also supports organisations with broader workplace health monitoring and occupational health services across Australia.
You can also visit our Resources page for additional guidance, legislation and supporting information.
Health monitoring must be provided to workers carrying out ongoing work with a significant risk of exposure to respirable crystalline silica. This can include stonemasons, construction and demolition workers, tunnellers, quarry and mining workers, foundry workers and abrasive blasters. A risk assessment, which may include air monitoring, helps identify who needs it.
The minimum requirements are a medical and occupational history, records of personal exposure, a standardised respiratory questionnaire, lung function testing (spirometry) and a full-size chest X-ray. The supervising doctor may use low-dose high-resolution CT instead of or as well as an X-ray, and in Western Australia low-dose HRCT is required rather than a chest X-ray.
Safe Work Australia’s guidance recommends spirometry at baseline and annually, and a chest X-ray at baseline and then every five years for the first 20 years of work. More frequent imaging, for example every three years or annually, may be warranted after an abnormal result or heavy or prolonged exposure. The supervising doctor sets the schedule for each worker.
The employer (PCBU) must pay all expenses relating to health monitoring required under the WHS Regulations. Where two or more businesses share the duty for a worker, such as a labour hire company and host employer, the costs are shared equally unless they agree otherwise.
Yes. Employees Health can provide the medical, spirometry and questionnaire onsite and coordinate chest X-ray or low-dose CT, including mobile X-ray where available. We support single sites and multi-site workforces anywhere in Australia, with 24-hour medicals and reporting available for eligible bookings.
