Week 3 of National Safe Work Month - Clean Air. Clean Lungs

Week 3 of National Safe Work Month - Clean Air, Clear Lungs

In the third week of supporting National Safe Work Month, we're focusing on workplace exposure to hazardous chemicals and dust. The Clean Air, Clear Lungs campaign is run by Safe Work Australia to raise awareness of occupational lung diseases and the health impacts they cause across Australian workplaces.

Are you at risk of exposure to hazardous chemicals and dust?

Employers must understand the health risks their workers face daily. Strict exposure limits exist for hazardous chemicals and dust to protect worker safety and wellbeing on site.

Asbestos fibre remains one of the most common exposures in this category, potentially leading to lung cancer or mesothelioma when inhaled over time. Beyond asbestos, several other hazards often go unnoticed. For everyone's safety, these risks need identifying and managing correctly through proper workplace health protocols.

What industries are most at risk?

Occupational lung disease develops more readily in certain work environments, placing some workers at greater risk than others. Long-term exposure to irritants breathed into the lungs causes these conditions, and resulting illnesses may have lasting effects long after exposure ends.

• Manufacturing workers often handle chemicals and materials that may be harmful to breathe in.
• Construction workers can be exposed to concrete dust, asbestos fibres and lead.
• Engineered stoneworkers face high risk of exposure to silica dust while conducting their work.
• Agricultural workers can be exposed to substances such as pesticides, chemicals, fuels and fumes.

How to manage the risk

Effective management starts with identifying dust, fumes, gases or vapours present in your workplace that may potentially lead to occupational lung disease. Speaking with your workers matters too, since their feedback helps uncover risks that might otherwise be missed.

Once identified, appropriate control measures can eliminate or manage these risks. Strong management practices reduce long-term harm and support better health outcomes for everyone involved.

Depending on your industry, hazards identified could require quite complex management measures and ongoing monitoring protocols. Seeking advice from Work Health and Safety Regulators, industry associations and safety professionals remains essential when developing your management approach. For further guidance, resources published by Safe Work Australia offer authoritative direction on managing occupational lung health hazards in Australian workplaces.

How can we help?

SafetyDocs by SafetyCulture offers a comprehensive range of policies, plans, procedures, checklists and forms designed to keep workers safe from exposure to hazardous chemicals and dust. Our documents support consistent safety practices and help embed sound management systems into daily operations.

In support of The Clean Air, Clear Lungs campaign run by Safe Work Australia, this week we're offering 20% off the following products related to lung health:

• Asbestos Safety Documents
• Respirable Crystalline Silica Management Plan
• Silica Dust SWMS
• Lead Management Plan
• Lead Paint Removal SWMS
• Working Around Lead Residue Dust SWMS
• Bench-top Installation Stone SWMS
• Health Surveillance Record
• Health Surveillance Policy

Coming in the following weeks!

Next week, we'll talk about whether you work in an office or on a high-risk worksite; health and safety risks can still present themselves and harm workers. Catch up on what we covered in Week 1 of National Safe Work Month and Week 2 of National Safe Work Month if you missed our earlier posts, plus explore how we've tackled mental health in the workplace during previous campaigns.

The offer begins Wednesday 20th October 2021 and ends Wednesday 27th October 2021. Discounts apply only to the products listed above, and coupon code CLEANAIR2021 needs entering at checkout for the discount to apply. See our full National Safe Work Month terms and conditions for further details on eligible offers.