Occupational Hygiene, Safety and Health Services in Regional and Remote

Quarries present unique health and safety risks to employees and as a result, site specific monitoring and control strategies are required.

In Victoria, quarry operators comply with the Victorian Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act 2004 to protect the health, safety and welfare of employees and other people at work.

Key Regulatory Requirements

1. Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment

• Operators must identify all quarry hazards (e.g.,ground instability, vehicle roll-overs, dust, silica, noise, blasting) and assess associated risks.
• Risks must be controlled by eliminating them or, where that is not reasonably practicable, reducing them using the hierarchy of control (isolation, engineering, administrative, and lastly PPE).

2. Health Monitoring
   Operators must arrange ongoing health monitoring for any employee exposed to hazards that could have an adverse effect on their health (e.g., crystalline silica, dust, noise, vibration etc).

Key Health Hazards

• Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS): Quarrying operations, particularly crushing and screening, produce fine silica dust that can penetrate deep in the lungs, potentially causing irreversible diseases like silicosis.
• Diesel Particulate Matter (DPM): Fumes generated by heavy earth-moving equipment and diesel generators pose respiratory risks.
• Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL): Heavy machinery, rock breakers, and conveyor systems require routine noise assessments and hearing protection plans.
• Vibration & Thermal Stress: Managing physical hazards such as whole-vibration from operating heavy vehicles and heat stress during summer months.

Audiometrics & Medical Personnel/Occupational Hygiene & OHS Solutions
Audiometrics and Medical Personnel/OHOS is proudly Australian owned and has been providing services in occupational hygiene, safety and health in regional and remote locations for more than 40 years.

They help identify hazards, assess risk and prepare risk management strategies to help organisations comply with the regulatory requirements.

OHS Requirements Under One Roof
What sets Audiometrics and Medical Personnel/OHOS apart is the breadth of what is delivered under one roof.

The same provider monitors exposure to hazards (silica, noise, vibration etc) and also carries out hearing checks, skin checks, drug and alcohol testing, and seasonal flu vaccination programs.

For operators managing storage compounds and fuel, its dangerous goods storage and handling assessment closes another common compliance gap.

Why choose Audiometrics and Medical Personnel/OHOS?

• Experienced Certified Occupational Hygienist (COH) and Certified OHS Professional (COHSP)
• Professional membership such as AIOH, AIHS, Exemplar Global etc.
• Licensed provided for sampling and analysing airborne dust by NSW Government under the Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Regulation 2022.
• Visit site to minimise disruption to production and staff.
• Accommodate shift work patterns and collect samples accordingly.
• Analyse collected samples in accredited laboratories such as NATA.
• Prepare a comprehensive report including results and recommendations.
• Provide and maintain relevant documents for the relevant regulatory authority such as WorkSafe, WorkCover etc.

Audiometrics & Medical Personnel/Occupational Hygiene & OHS Solutions recently joined the CMPA as an Associate Member. We thank them for representing the interests of small to medium businesses in the quarry industry.