The Silica Worker Register has been established under a NSW Government election commitment to increase health monitoring for workers at risk of silica-related illnesses.
This new digital system is being introduced to help identify workers who may need health monitoring services. Exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust can have deadly consequences and health monitoring is vital to ensuring changes in a person's health are detected early.
From 1 October 2025 Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBUs) will be required to register workers who undertake high risk crystalline silica substance processing on the Silica Worker Register (SWR) system.
If you are a PCBU, you will be required under Part 8A.4 of the Work Health and Safety Regulation to register each worker within 28 days of them commencing the high risk processing work of a crystalline silica substance.
PCBUs must provide the following details about their business to the SWR:
- PCBU name
- ABN
- PCBU contact name
- contact phone number
- contact email address
- registered business address
- workers compensation policy number, if applicable industry type.
For each worker that undertakes high risk silica processing activities, a PCBU must provide the following details:
- worker’s name
- worker’s phone number
- worker’s email address
- worker’s date of birth
- date the worker commenced processing high risk crystalline silica substances
- site address where the worker processes high risk crystalline silica substances
- whether the processing work is related to tunnel construction
- whether a person other than icare was engaged to provide health monitoring for the worker, and if so, their business name and ABN.
Only workers undertaking high risk silica processing on or after 1 October 2025 need to be registered. PCBUs will not need to register workers who ceased work involving high risk silica processing before this date.
The Work Health and Safety Amendment (Silica Worker Register) Regulation 2025 outlines the legal provisions for SafeWork NSW to establish and keep the silica worker register.
Find more information about health monitoring requirements and working safely with crystalline silica substances.