Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency

18/08/2026

📅 Save the date! We're excited to invite you to our 2026 Public Lecture: "Asbestos in Australia Today: Risk, Research, and Future of Care"

📍 Tuesday, 1 September 2026 | 5:00–6:00 PM AWST Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Nedlands (also streaming online)

Join Dr Rick van der Zwan (Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency), Dr Zeyad Al-Ogaili (Fiona Stanley Hospital & Royal Perth Hospital) and Dr Alistair Cook (NCARD) as they share the latest on asbestos risk and prevention, molecular imaging in mesothelioma care, and cutting-edge mesothelioma research.

The event will be convened by Dr Tracy Hoang (NCARD).

Networking and refreshments from 6:00 PM.

Free event but RSVP essential: https://bit.ly/NCARDPL2026

See you there!

17/08/2026

With funding from the Australian Centre for Disease Control, an expert working group has developed a set of standards for delivery and accreditation of spirometry services in community-based/primary care settings.

These standards have been published in 3 guides by the TSANZ - Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand(TSANZ) –https://thoracic.org.au/resources/spirometry/

▪️ SPC01: TSANZ Technical Standards for Spirometry in Australian Primary Care

▪️SPC02: TSANZ Standards for Training and Maintaining Competency in Spirometry for Australian Primary Care

▪️SPC03: Accreditation Guideline for Spirometry Services in Australian Primary Care

These standards aim to support the safe, consistent, and high-quality delivery of spirometry across Australian primary care settings, including General Practice, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Services / Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs), nurse-led clinics, pharmacy, community health, occupational health and allied health services.

The delivery of these standards aligns with actions in Australia's Silica National Strategic Plan 2024–30.

15/08/2026

This National Science Week, we celebrate the scientists whose research is helping protect Australians from asbestos and silica exposure and disease.

Through the ANSP and SNSP, research is helping identify risks, improve detection and diagnosis, inform policy, and develop evidence-based strategies that prevent exposure and reduce disease.

The work of scientists and researchers is turning evidence into action, helping create safer workplaces, homes and communities for future generations.

At ASSEA, our research team contributes to the evidence and knowledge needed to drive prevention, improve health outcomes, and support progress towards a future free from asbestos- and silica-related diseases.

13/08/2026

If you are managing silica risks in your workplace, don't forget to explore, use and share the great silica safety resources Safe Work Australia has developed as part of the Be Silica Smart initiative, including posters, infographics and guides - visit swa.gov.au/clearlungs

📣Be Silica Smart to Stay Silica Safe! 📣

ASSEA is proud to partner with Safe Work Australia on this important initiative. Visit silicasafety.gov.au to learn more about our work.

11/08/2026

The Australian Centre for Disease Control has updated their ‘National guidance for doctors assessing workers exposed to respirable crystalline silica dust’ https://www.cdc.gov.au/resources/publications/national-guidance-doctors-assessing-workers-crystalline-silica-dust-practice-guide which will provide support to medical professionals to identify and evaluate those most at risk of respirable crystalline silica dust.

Key updates include:
▪️enhanced protocols for identifying and managing silica-related diseases
▪️revised health monitoring requirements
▪️a nationwide ban on the importation and use of engineered stone – significantly reducing risk for workers across industries like stone masonry and stone benchtop manufacturing and fabricating.

Supporting medical professionals to identify silica related disease and respond to risk is a key complement to reforms in regulatory systems, workplace control measures, and legislation relating respirable crystalline silica dust, and aligns with actions in Australia's Silica National Strategic Plan 2024–30.

This practice guide and appendixes provide medical practitioners with guidance on identifying and assessing workers exposed to respirable crystalline silica dust, and carrying out health assessments and surveillance.

07/08/2026

Spotted on the streets of Adelaide... No, not the latest celebrity sighting, but a very important message making its way across the Adelaide Metro network.

The Asbestos Victims Assoc. (SA) have partnered with ASSEA to remind South Australians that asbestos remains a real and present danger in our homes, workplaces and communities.

If you're renovating, repairing or working around older buildings, please stop and think before you disturb materials that could contain asbestos.

Find out more at www.asbestossafety.gov.au

06/08/2026

Any worker who cuts, drills, polishes or grinds materials containing silica is at risk of being exposed to dangerous silica dust, which can lodge deep in the lungs and cause disease.

Silica dust can also be produced during mining and tunnelling activities, including excavation, earthmoving and drilling. Tiny, invisible particles of silica dust can stay airborne for longer than you may think. They can also be recirculated during cleanup. You can learn more about silica at www.silicasafety.gov.au

Every worker has a right to a safe workplace. Employers have a legal duty to protect workers by managing health and safety risks. Safe Work Australia has a range of resources including posters, infographics and guides to help you understand and manage silica risks in the workplace - visit swa.gov.au/clearlungs

06/08/2026

South Australia has strengthened its response to asbestos and silica risks with the release of new state action plans and a dedicated information hub designed to help protect workers, businesses and the community. The new plans support the implementation of the Asbestos National Strategic Plan 2024–30 and the Silica National Strategic Plan 2024–30.

SafeWork SA Executive Director Glenn Farrell said: “Exposure to asbestos and silica can have devastating, lifelong health impacts, which is why prevention is absolutely critical. These initiatives are about giving workers, businesses and the community the knowledge they need to identify hazards early and manage them safely.”

Through national leadership, collaboration and evidence-based action, we can continue working towards a future free from asbestos and silica-related disease.

Read more:

South Australia has strengthened its response to asbestos and silica with the release of new State Strategy Plans and a combined website to help protect workers, businesses and the community against the deadly hazards.

04/08/2026

Asbestos is invisible to the naked eye. Asbestos testing is needed to confirm the presence of asbestos.

A licensed asbestos professional can help identify and sample asbestos.

03/08/2026

Safe Work Australia has information about silica and how to identify, assess and manage silica‑related risks in the workplace in Mandarin, Arabic, Vietnamese, Korean and Hazaragi.

Visit swa.gov.au/clearlungs to view these resources.