Silicosis
Screening
& Health Monitoring
Check your risk and protect your lung health. Early screening can detect lung damage before symptoms appear.
What is silicosis health monitoring and screening?
Silicosis screening helps detect early lung damage — before symptoms appear — giving you a chance to act early.
Silicosis is a lung disease caused by breathing in silica dust. Since symptoms don’t always show up straight away, screening is essential. Screening can detect early signs of lung scarring (fibrosis) before symptoms appear, allowing for early action to protect your health.
Why screening matters
Even if you feel fine, your lungs could still be at risk – that’s why Health Monitoring is required to be provided for workers at high risk of exposure to silica dust in their workplace. Here’s why this type of early screening is so important.
Why do I need a screening if I have no symptoms?
Silicosis is called a “silent disease” because you can have lung damage without feeling any symptoms. Early screening can detect changes in your lungs before you experience breathlessness, coughing, or chest tightness. The earlier it’s found, the sooner you can act to protect your health.
What is silicosis screening?
Silicosis screening is a set of health tests to check for lung damage caused by exposure to silica dust. The key tests include:
- Lung Function Test (Spirometry): Measures how well your lungs move air in and out.
- Chest X-Ray: A quick, painless scan to check for lung scarring or abnormalities.
- Low-Dose CT Scan: A detailed, 3D scan of your lungs that can detect early signs of silicosis not visible on an X-ray.
Who should get screened?
You should get screened if you’ve worked in any of these industries:
- Stonemasonry (especially working with engineered stone benchtops)
- Construction (including demolition work)
- Mining and Quarrying
- Tunneling
- Paving and Road Construction
What happens during a screening?
Here’s what to expect during a silicosis screening, step-by-step.
Step 1: Detailed interview with a medical practitioner
You’ll meet with a healthcare provider to discuss your exposure to silica dust. They’ll ask about:
- Job History: Your roles, tasks, and time spent in silica-exposed jobs.
- Silica Exposure: Activities like cutting, grinding, or polishing stone, concrete, or other materials.
- Workplace Safety Measures: Use of PPE (like masks) and exposure controls like water suppression and ventilation.
Step 2: Medical testing
After your interview, you’ll complete the following simple, non-invasive tests:
- Lung Function Test (Spirometry): Blow into a device that measures how well your lungs move air in and out. This test tracks lung capacity and airflow.
- Chest X-Ray: A quick scan to check for lung scarring or nodules caused by silica exposure. While X-rays are useful, a CT scan may be needed for more detail.
- Low-Dose CT Scan: This 3D scan creates a highly detailed image of your lungs, helping detect early signs of silicosis that aren’t visible on X-rays.
Step 3: Results and next steps
Once the tests are done, a healthcare professional will review your results. If lung damage is found, you may be referred for further testing or follow-up care with a specialist.
What work activities put you at risk?
Certain tasks generate large amounts of silica dust, especially if dry cutting, grinding, or polishing is involved.
High-risk work activities
These tasks are more likely to produce large amounts of silica dust:
- Did You Know? Dry cutting and sweeping release far more silica dust than wet-cutting or vacuum-assisted methods. Use water suppression to keep dust levels down.
Cutting, Grinding, or Polishing Stone Countertops
(especially engineered stone)
Excavation, Earthmoving, and Drilling
(e.g., trenching, tunneling)
Operating Clay or Stone Processing Machines
Paving, Road Construction, and Surfacing
Cutting Bricks, Concrete, or Stone
(especially dry cutting methods)
Demolition and Labouring
(tearing down walls or concrete)
Mining, Quarrying, and Mineral Ore Processing
High-silica materials
Some materials produce more silica dust than others. Here’s a look at common materials and their silica content:
Material | Approx. Silica Content | Risk Level |
Engineered Stone | Up to 97% | 🔴 Very High Risk |
Sandstone | 70-90% | 🔴 Very High Risk |
Granite | 25-60% | 🟠 High Risk |
Concrete, Bricks | 20-30% | 🟠 High Risk |
Natural Stone | < 5% | 🟢 Low Risk |
Soil, Clay, Shale | Varies (5-50%) | 🟠 Mod-High Risk |
How to access silicosis screening
Accessing screening is simple, whether you’re currently working or have left the industry.
If you’re currently working in a high risk role:
If you work in a high-risk industry, your employer is required by Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws to provide free health monitoring and screening.
If you’re not currently working in a high-risk role:
If you’re no longer employed in a high-risk role, you can still access screening.
- See Your GP: Ask your GP for a referral for spirometry or a CT scan.
- Check State Compensation Schemes: In some states, you may be eligible for free lung screening via workers’ compensation schemes.
FAQs about silicosis screening
What is silicosis screening?
It’s a health check that looks for signs of lung damage caused by silica dust exposure.
How do I know if I need screening?
If you’ve worked with silica dust in jobs like stonemasonry, construction, or mining, you should get screened.
Is screening painful?
No, screening tests are non-invasive. Spirometry involves breathing into a device, and X-rays and CT scans are painless.
What if I no longer work in the industry?
You can still access screening via your GP or through state-based workers’ compensation authorities.
Who pays for the screening?
If you’re currently working, your employer must pay for your screening. If you’ve left the industry, you may be able to access free screening via your state workers’ compensation authority.
Don’t wait — get screened today
Silicosis can be detected before symptoms appear. Early detection gives you the chance to act before lung damage progresses.
