What Is Dust Testing?
Dust Testing Sydney | Silica, Respirable & Inhalable Dust
Enviro Corp's occupational hygienists carry out workplace dust testing across Sydney — including respirable crystalline silica (RCS) monitoring, general respirable and inhalable dust testing, and indoor particulate (PM10/PM2.5) assessments. We measure worker exposure against the current Workplace Exposure Standards, identify where silica risk control obligations apply, and provide a compliant report to support your risk assessment, health monitoring program, and SafeWork audits. This is part of our occupational hygiene testing.
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What is dust testing?
Dust testing (also called particulate or dust monitoring) measures the concentration of airborne particles a worker is exposed to, and compares that measurement against the relevant Workplace Exposure Standard (WES). "Dust" isn't a single substance — different dust types carry different legal limits and different health risks, so the first step in any proper assessment is identifying exactly what's being generated and by which process.
Under the WHS Regulation, a PCBU must ensure no worker is exposed to an airborne contaminant above its WES, and must arrange air monitoring where there's uncertainty about exposure or where monitoring is necessary to determine appropriate controls. For crystalline silica specifically, the 2024 amendments to the model WHS Regulations introduced additional, more stringent duties beyond the general air monitoring requirement.
Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) Testing — What You Need to Know Right Now
This deserves its own section because it's currently the most consequential dust issue in Australian workplaces. Crystalline silica is found in natural stone, concrete, bricks, tiles, and — most significantly — engineered stone, which can contain up to 90%+ crystalline silica. When cut, ground, drilled, or polished, it generates extremely fine dust that penetrates deep into the lungs and causes silicosis, an irreversible and sometimes fatal lung disease. Australia has seen a serious rise in silicosis cases, disproportionately among younger stonemasons and fabricators.
Key facts businesses need to know:
| Australia became the first country in the world to ban the manufacture, supply, processing and installation of engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs, effective 1 July 2024, with import prohibitions from 1 January 2025. | "Legacy" engineered stone already installed doesn't need to be removed and isn't considered a risk if left undisturbed — but any removal, repair, or modification work requires strict controls. |
| The Workplace Exposure Standard for RCS is 0.05 mg/m³ (8-hour TWA) — reduced from 0.1 mg/m³ on 1 July 2020. | From 1 October 2025, NSW employers must notify workers undertaking high-risk silica processing activities to the Silica Worker Register within 28 days of work starting. |
| Under Schedule 14 of the WHS Regulation 2017 (NSW), workers doing high-risk crystalline silica processing must be offered health monitoring, including chest X-ray and lung function testing. | Industries most affected: stonemasonry and benchtop fabrication, construction and demolition (concrete cutting, drilling, grinding), tunnelling and excavation through quartz-bearing rock, tile and paving installation, and any renovation or demolition work disturbing legacy engineered stone. |
If your business involves any of the above, silica-specific air monitoring isn't optional — it's a documented legal duty, and it's a very different (and more stringent) process than general nuisance dust testing.
General Dust Testing — Respirable & Inhalable Fractions
Important distinction we make clear that many providers gloss over: the PM10/PM2.5 figures often quoted for "air quality" are ambient (outdoor) air quality standards set under the National Environment Protection (Ambient Air Quality) Measure — 50 µg/m³ (24-hour) / 25 µg/m³ (annual) for PM10, and 25 µg/m³ (24-hour) / 8 µg/m³ (annual) for PM2.5 — not occupational exposure limits. They're a useful benchmark for general indoor air quality investigations, but they are a different legal framework from the workplace exposure standards above, and shouldn't be conflated with them when assessing a workplace dust hazard.
Our Testing Methodology
Sampling method selection:
| Step | What It Involves |
|---|---|
| Direct-reading instruments | Real-time, continuous particulate monitoring. |
| Personal exposure sampling | Active (pumped) methods in accordance with Australian Standards — AS 2985 (respirable dust, including RCS) and AS 3640 (inhalable dust). |
| Breathing zone sampling | Samples collected in the worker's breathing zone during representative work, per Safe Work Australia guidance. |
| Laboratory analysis | Provides gravimetric analysis for dust mass, and where required, silica-specific analysis (e.g. XRD or FTIR methods) to determine crystalline silica content. |
| Reporting | Results compared against the relevant WES, with recommended controls and — for RCS work — guidance on health monitoring. |
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Who Needs Dust Testing?
Health Effects of Dust or Particulate Matter
The size of a dust particle determines how deep it penetrates the respiratory system, and therefore how much harm it can do. Particles smaller than 10 micrometres pose the greatest risk, as they can reach deep into the lungs and, in some cases, the bloodstream. Documented effects include:
- Aggravated asthma and decreased lung function
- Increased respiratory symptoms — airway irritation, coughing, difficulty breathing
- Heart attacks and irregular heartbeat in people with existing heart or lung disease
- Premature death in people with heart or lung disease
- Silicosis specifically (from RCS exposure) — irreversible lung scarring, and in severe cases, a rapidly progressive and fatal form seen disproportionately in engineered stone workers
- Increased risk of lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and kidney disease from long-term RCS exposure
Dust Testing Frequently asked questions:
Inhalable dust is the larger fraction that enters through the nose and mouth; respirable dust is the much finer fraction that bypasses natural filtering and reaches deep into the lungs. Both have their own separate exposure standards.
Yes — from 1 July 2024, Australia banned the manufacture, supply, processing and installation of engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs nationally, with import prohibitions from 1 January 2025.