(1) As at 30 April 2020, SafeWork NSW has undertaken a total of 228 visits to businesses working with silica including construction, tunnelling and foundries. 114 of these visits were to manufactured stone fabrication businesses.

(a) & (b)

88 notices were issued in total to 35 businesses (all industries), with 55 of these notices relating to manufactured stone (47 improvement and 8 prohibition) for 21 businesses.

(a)(i) & (b)(i)

 Of the 55 notices that related to manufactured stone (21 businesses), there were 45 silica-related improvement notices and 4 silica-related prohibition notices. The remaining 6 notices related to falls, high risk work licences and plant. 1 improvement notice is yet to be complied. All prohibition notices have been satisfied.

(2) In 2019/20 to 30 April, the average number of visits made by SafeWork NSW to all businesses for silica was 22.8 per month, with 11.4 per month relating to manufactured stone worksites, reflecting the broader focus to the construction industry following the intensive visits to manufactured stone businesses in 2018 and 2019.

(3) All prohibition notices in the manufactured stone industry from all previous years including 2019/20 have been complied with.

(4) 10 Improvement notices for worksites in the manufactured stone industry from all previous years including 2019/20 (Q1) remain open, noting many relate to health monitoring which has been impacted by a temporary pause on icare's Lung Screen Service due to COVID-19 restrictions.