Crystalline Silica Medicals
From $528.00 (incl. GST)
Exposure to respirable crystalline silica dust can occur in work activities involving, but not limited to, roadworks, demolition, tunnelling, the installation of engineered/composite stone, hydraulic fracturing operations and stone processing.When silica dust becomes airborne and is inhaled over time, it can cause serious diseases including silicosis, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), renal disease and scleroderma.
Workers whose prospective or current role involves exposure to crystalline silica dust are recommended to undergo pre-employment medicals, continuous health monitoring and post-employment medicals to evaluate their medical fitness to commence work and health status during the exposure duration. Health monitoring also helps to support early workplace interventions for any identified exposure risks.
Melbourne Occupational Health Services offers the following Crystalline Silica Medicals:
- Pre-employment medical
- Periodic medical
- Exit medical
Pre-employment medical
A pre-employment medical aims to establish medical fitness, but also baseline measures prior to silica dust exposure, making it easier to identify any changes to the respiratory and overall health that may occur over time in the worker.
Periodic medical
Periodic health monitoring is recommended following the worker’s commencement with duties involving crystalline dust exposure. This medical aims to monitor your overall health including detecting early signs of silicosis, COPD and renal disease, and changes to lung function. This also helps to support early workplace health and safety interventions aimed at minimising further exposure to silica dust. The frequency of the periodic health monitoring assessment depends on the level and nature of exposure, and workplace risks.
Exit medical
Conducted when a worker permanently concludes their tenure with their current employer and ceases all work involving crystalline silica with them. This helps to assess the worker’s health status, identify any work-related conditions that may have developed that require management, and support early workplace health interventions.
The Crystalline Silica Medical include:
- Demographic and past occupational history
- General and respiratory questionnaire
- General health assessment
- Spirometry test (Lung function assessment)
- ILO Chest X-Ray
Depending on the worker or employer’s needs, the following medical components may also be required:
- Audiometry test (Hearing assessment) – $55.00 (incl. GST)
- Urine and Drug Screen (Instant) – $66.00 (incl. GST)
Book Your Crystalline Silica Medical Today
We are committed to ensuring your safe commencement and continuation in your role involving silica dust exposure. Please call Valewood Clinic (Mulgrave) or North Dandenong Clinic (Dandenong North) today for an appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (Vic) require employers to provide silica health monitoring for employees when the exposure is reasonably likely to have an adverse effect on their health under specific working conditions. This typically occurs when work activities involve the modification of engineered stone countertops, excavation, earth moving and drilling operations. For a more expansive list of work activities that can generate respirable silica dust, please click here.
This depends on how long it takes for the candidate or employee to complete their ILO Chest X-Ray at our designated offsite radiology facility. This can typically be done on the day of the crystalline silica assessment. The time required, however, to complete our new patient registration form, pre-fill the medical paperwork and complete the other necessary crystalline silica medical components at one of our medical clinics typically takes about 1 and half hours.
Please bring photo identification (e.g. driver’s license or passport), your Medicare card (if applicable) and any relevant medical history (if applicable).
Subject to the availability of the doctor and nurse originally designated to complete your medical, you may not be able to complete it. In this case, you will be charged a Did Not Attend fee and will be required to reschedule your appointment.
Please contact us at least 24 hours before your appointment to reschedule or cancel. If your medical is rescheduled or cancelled within 24 hours of your medical assessment, you may be charged a cancellation fee. We understand that situations out of your control may prompt you to cancel or reschedule your appointment. Hence, the cancellation fee will be up to the discretion of the medical team.
The results of the ILO Chest X-Ray will typically be available 2 days following its completion. Once the report has been received, the doctor will be able to sign off on the crystalline silica medical and provide you with the results.
