Silica and 1 December 2026: what it means for your SWMS
You may have heard silica rules change in December. Here is what was announced, quoted from the source, and what to write about dust on your next job.
A$39per job
However many high-risk activities it covers.
- However many high-risk activities it covers.
- 3 for A$99
- 10 for A$249
- Yearly A$129 for 120
- Monthly A$60 for 10
What changes on 1 December 2026?
Quoted from Safe Work Australia, with the source and the date we read it.
Safe Work Australia's new workplace exposure limits have an implementation date of 1 December 2026, and apply as each jurisdiction implements them in its WHS laws.
Safe Work Australia, Workplace exposure limits for airborne contaminants · read 21 Oct 2026 · primary text
Safe Work Australia announced no change from 1 December 2026 to the exposure limit for respirable crystalline silica, which stays at 0.05 mg/m³ as an 8-hour time-weighted average.
Safe Work Australia, Workplace exposure limits for airborne contaminants · read 21 Oct 2026 · primary text
On the job
What should the SWMS say about silica dust?
Reviewers commonly look for silica to be handled task by task, not as one general line.
- The tasks that make dustName each one: cutting, grinding, chasing, drilling or sanding concrete, brick, tile, stone or fibre cement.
- Controls at the toolSay what you use for each task, such as water suppression or on-tool dust extraction, and how it is set up.
- Respiratory protectionName the type the crew will wear and who checks it fits before the work starts.
- Clean-upSay how dust is cleaned up, for example wet methods or a suitable vacuum, rather than dry sweeping or blowing it off.
- Who checks, and when you reviewName the role that checks the controls while the work goes on, and review the SWMS when the method or the material changes.
Do I need a new SWMS because of the date?
Review it the way you normally would
Is silica work on my state's high-risk list?
The lists differ between states and territories. Check your state on the high-risk construction work page, or run your job through the tool, which shows your state's own wording.
Start here
Write the silica controls for your job
Describe the job for a free preview. Check the dust tasks and controls against your site, then finalise.
Sources
Where this guide's information comes from
- 1.Safe Work Australia · Publication of decision on the proposed workplace exposure limits for 9 chemicals (24 June 2026) · accessed 21 Oct 2026
- 2.Safe Work Australia · New workplace exposure limits apply from 1 December 2026 · accessed 21 Oct 2026
- 3.Safe Work Australia · WHS duties for silica · accessed 21 Oct 2026
- Last reviewed
- 21 October 2026
- How
- Practical guidance for preparing the job document. The dated lines are quoted from Safe Work Australia with the source and the date we read them.
- Next review
- 1 December 2026
Questions
Questions people ask
Is the silica limit getting lower on 1 December 2026?
Not according to Safe Work Australia's announcement quoted above. Read the quoted lines for what changes on that date and how it applies.
Does every SWMS go out of date on 1 December?
The date is a good prompt to check your silica controls. Review a SWMS when the work, the method or the controls change, and brief the crew on any changes.
Which jobs make silica dust?
Common ones are cutting, grinding, chasing, drilling or sanding concrete, brick, tile, stone and fibre cement. Name the actual tasks on your job in the SWMS.