Hilton Stone Pty Ltd pleaded guilty in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court yesterday to two rolled-up charges of failing to provide and maintain a safe working environment.
The company was fined $12,500 for failing to provide proper controls to reduce the risk of exposure to silica dust and a further $12,500 for failing to have required guarding on a power saw.
The company was also ordered to pay costs of $6,157.
The court heard that in March 2020, a WorkSafe inspector visited Hilton Stone as part of WorkSafe’s inspection focus on reducing the risks of exposure to crystalline silica in the workplace.
The inspector found that equipment used to cut, grind or polish engineered stone did not have controls in place such as an integrated water delivery system to suppress silica dust an on-tool extraction system to remove airborne particles, personal protective equipment such as a respirator or health monitoring checks of workers.
WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Narelle Beer stressed the importance of protecting workers from exposure to crystalline silica.
“Exposure to silica dust can lead to deadly diseases such as silicosis, which is a scarring of the lungs, kidney disease, lung cancer and autoimmune diseases,” Dr Beer said.
“Employers must ensure all safety measures are in place so workers aren’t exposed to levels of silica dust that are above the exposure standard.”
“WorkSafe will not hesitate to prosecute any duty holder who fails to do all that they can to protect their workers from the harmful dust.”
Employers can protect workers from the dangers of crystalline silica exposure by:
- Providing tools with water suppression.
- Providing on-tool extraction.
- Providing fit-for-purpose respirators and appropriate PPE.
- Carrying out air monitoring.
- Ensuring workers undergo an annual health check.
