Western Australia’s silica-processing package excludes mine sites

October 7, 2026

Western Australia’s additional crystalline-silica processing requirements commenced September 1, 2024 under the Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022. WorkSafe’s guide page expressly states that these General Regulations do not apply to mine sites.

The package concerns materials containing at least 1% crystalline silica by weight. The 2024 amending instrument, Part 3, supplies the September commencement and processing provisions. Mining applicability requires its separate regulatory framework.

The Western Australia silica-processing record keeps that exclusion visible. WorkSafe’s notification form page describes air monitoring for relevant high-risk processing and reporting results that show a respirable crystalline silica WES exceedance.

Retain the workplace regime with the result

The notification page identifies the 0.05 mg/m³ respirable crystalline silica standard. The relevant eight-hour basis and any working-hours adjustment must be retained when an assessment uses the value. The material’s weight-percent silica content is a separate quantity from the airborne concentration.

APT’s practical interpretation is to identify whether work occurs under the General Regulations or the mining regime before applying a template for silica assessments or reporting. A general-workplace reporting form should not automatically be assigned to a mine merely because the contaminant is the same.

Western Australian mine-site silica duties and exposure tables require a separate assessment under the mining framework.

For related developments, consult the industrial hygiene regulatory tracker.