Crystalline silica, used in engineered stone, poses a health risk to workers during activities like cutting, crushing, drilling, polishing, sawing, or grinding. This generates fine dust particles that can lodge deep in the lungs, leading to severe lung diseases, including silicosis.
Between March and June 2023 Safe Work Australia (SWA) undertook analysis and consultation on the use of engineered stone. On 13 December 2023, WHS Ministers agreed to Safe Work Australia’s recommendation to prohibit the use of all engineered stone under the model WHS laws. The use, supply and manufacture of all engineered stone was prohibited from 1 July 2024.
With the prohibition on the use, supply, and manufacture of engineered stone in Australia (from 1 July 2024), a critical need has emerged to review and update existing nationally recognised training products associated with crystalline silica to comply with the new regulations. This review includes the three endorsed units and revisiting unit CPCSIL1001 (not endorsed).
The units of competency include:
- CPCSIL2001 Use and maintain respiratory protective equipment
- CPCSIL3001 Work with products and materials containing crystalline silica
- CPCSIL4001 Supervise and manage work with products and materials generating respirable crystalline silica
CPCSIL1001 Prepare to work safely with products and materials containing crystalline silica was developed at the same time and was submitted for endorsement alongside the other units. Of the four, CPCSIL1001 was the only unit not endorsed. This project includes the exploration to determine if this non-endorsed unit requires additional work to be determined as fit for purpose and inclusion into the national training register.
A Technical Committee has been established to provide expert advice, identify any impacts on learners, and possible implementation issues. The Technical Committee members will also identify any additional stakeholders that should be included in the consultation strategy to assist with this project.
Technical Committee Members
| Name | Organisation | Stakeholder Type | Location |
| Kurt Pauls | Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union | Employees and their representatives / Union | QLD / NT |
| Allan Warren | Master Builders Association | Employers and their representatives / Peak bodies | ACT |
| Matthew Hardy | Pemulwuy Contracting Pty Ltd | Employers and their representatives / Peak bodies | New South Wales |
| Tony Lopez | Housing Industry Association | Employers and their representatives / Peak bodies | National |
| Kenneth Cooper | North Metropolitan TAFE | Registered Training Organisations | Western Australia |
| Brian Vernon | Creative Safety Initiatives | Registered Training Organisations | ACT |
| John Tannous | TAFE NSW | State & Training Representatives (inc licencing and regulatory bodies) | New South Wales |
| Jack Keogh | Silasafe | Educational Expert | National |
The Terms of Reference for the Technical Committee can be found below.
| Project commencement date: | 10 February 2025 |
| Proposed project end date: | 8 June 2026 |
| Training Product Priority: | Complex |
The first Technical Committee meeting will be held in May 2025. In the Training Product Development phase, there could be up to 6 Technical Committee meetings. Meetings will be for a duration of 2-4 hours and will be held via a combination of face to face and online formats.
In October 2025 the first draft training product will be published on our website for public consultation and feedback. Further to this, from October 2025 there will be two online public consultations.
From December 2025 the Technical Committee will be required to meet again to conduct further revisions to the draft training products, based on feedback received through the public consultation.
The final draft training product will be sent to our Commonwealth and State/Territory Senior Responsible Officers in March 2025.
The finalisation and submission of the training product to the Assurance Body is proposed to be made in May 2025. Implementation and promotion of the new training product is expected to commence in June 2026.
Please note these dates may be subject to change throughout the project.
BuildSkills has established a Consultation Strategy that identifies key stakeholders and outlines mechanisms for engaging with them during the drafting of training products. This strategy includes the management of public consultations on the drafted products and the processing of feedback received.
The consultation methods employed by BuildSkills consist of in-person and virtual meetings, online surveys, focus groups, industry workshops, and feedback submitted through the website, or via email.
BuildSkills will engage the following stakeholders throughout the training product development process.
| Organisation | Stakeholder type | Footprint |
| Master Builders Australia | Employers and their representatives/peak bodies | National |
| Housing Industry Association (HIA) | Employers and their representatives/peak bodies | National |
| Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) | Employers and their representatives/peak bodies | National |
| Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ACCI) | Employers and their representatives/peak bodies | National |
| Engineered Stone Advisory Group | Industry Representative | National |
| Australian Engineered Stone Industry Alliance (AESIA) | Industry Representative | National |
| Standards Australia | Licensing and Regulatory | National |
| Safe Work Australia (SWA) | Licensing and Regulatory | National |
| WorkSafe Victoria | Licensing and Regulatory | Victoria |
| WorkSafe Queensland | Licensing and Regulatory | Queensland |
| WorkSafe WA | Licensing and Regulatory | Western Australia |
| SafeWork NSW | Licensing and Regulatory | New South Wales |
| WorkSafe Tasmania | Licensing and Regulatory | Tasmania |
| NT WorkSafe | Licensing and Regulatory | Nothern Territory |
| State Training Authorities | State Training Authorities | National |
| The Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments | The Commonwealth, state, and territory governments | National |
| Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) | Employees and their representatives/unions | National (through each State Association) |
| Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) | Employees and their representatives/unions | National |
| Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) | Employees and their representatives/unions | National |
| National Skills Pty Ltd | Registered Training Organisation (RTO) | National |
| Holmesglen Institute | Registered Training Organisation (RTO) - TAFE | Victoria |
| RTO Safety Training | Registered Training Organisation (RTO) | National |
| Construction Employment Training and Welfare Ltd | Registered Training Organisation (RTO) | National |
| TAFE NSW | Registered Training Organisation (RTO) - TAFE | New South Wales |
| TAFE Queensland | Registered Training Organisation (RTO) - TAFE | Queensland |
| University of Melbourne – Research in Workplace Safety | Education (Research & Advisory) | Victoria |
| University of Queensland – Workplace Health & Safety Research | Education (Research & Advisory) | Queensland |
| Curtin University – Faculty of Occupational Health & Safety | Education (Research & Advisory) | Western Australia |
| Caesarstone Australia Pty Ltd | Industry Employer (Engineered Stone Supplier) | National |
| Smartstone Australia Pty Ltd | Industry Employer (Engineered Stone Supplier) | National |
| WK Marble & Granite Pty Ltd (Quantum Quartz) | Industry Employer (Engineered Stone Supplier) | National |
| Stone Ambassador Australia Pty Ltd | Industry Employer (Engineered Stone Supplier) | National |
| Jobs and Skills Councils | JSC | National |
