We take very seriously our commitments and responsibilities to manage dust across all of our sites.
We strive to lead the way through a comprehensive dust management framework informed by our ongoing work with specialists and regulators to help ensure we are using modern management practices and dust control technologies to keep our people safe and healthy while at work. This includes occupational hygiene monitoring and personal health surveillance.
Like many in our industry and related industries, monitoring of respirable dust (RD) and respirable crystalline silica (RCS) is an established practice in place for many years.
At Boral, we undertake static dust monitoring, personal exposure monitoring as well as regular environmental (boundary) monitoring at relevant sites.
Static dust monitoring and personal exposure monitoring helps us to better understand where potential risks to our people exist and if additional measures are required.
Health surveillance includes respiratory function tests and chest x-rays by a specialist radiologist accredited in occupational lung health.
Our employees who are required to use respirators for controlling their exposure below the workplace exposure standard (WES) for airborne contaminants are included in our hygiene monitoring and health surveillance.
Under current regulations, health surveillance must be conducted at least every five years. At Boral, our current minimum standard is to conduct health surveillance for dust of relevant employees every three years.