What Documentation Should a Resource Recovery Site Have for Dust and Silica?

Most operators we work with have at least some controls in place. The gap is rarely the activity — it is the evidence. When SafeWork SA, an insurer or a principal contractor asks for the documentation that supports those controls, missing or out-of-date records are treated as missing controls.

Use the following as a checklist of the records a resource recovery, recycling, crushing or material recovery site should be able to produce on request.

1. Hazard identification and risk register. A current, dated record listing dust, silica, asbestos contamination, noise, plant interaction and other foreseeable hazards across each process step (intake, primary crushing, secondary crushing, screening, stockpiling, loadout, maintenance).

2. Silica risk control plan. A written assessment that identifies similar exposure groups, characterises exposure based on monitoring or equivalent evidence, sets out the hierarchy of control measures applied (substitution, isolation, engineering, administrative, RPE), and defines monitoring and review triggers.

3. Asbestos management plan and contamination response procedure. Required where asbestos is identified or assumed in any structure on site, and as a separate procedure for incoming material contamination — covering intake screening, spotter training, isolation, escalation and disposal.

4. Air monitoring records. Where monitoring is required, a written sampling plan, NATA-accredited laboratory results, comparison to the workplace exposure standard, interpretation, and any corrective actions taken. Records should be retained for at least 30 years for asbestos and as required for silica.

5. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) and safe work method statements (SWMS). Documented procedures for the high-risk tasks that drive exposure: crusher operation, screen change-outs, conveyor maintenance, stockpile management, hosing-down, plant cleaning.

6. Training and competency records. Induction records, role-specific training (silica awareness, asbestos awareness, RPE use, plant operation), refresher dates, and verification of competency where applicable.

7. Respiratory protection program. Selected RPE for each task, AS/NZS 1715 selection rationale, fit testing records (initial and periodic), maintenance and cartridge replacement records, and a register of issued equipment.

8. Engineering control maintenance logs. Inspection and maintenance records for water suppression, dust extraction, enclosures, conveyor seals and housekeeping equipment — including out-of-service periods.

9. Incident, near-miss and complaint register. Dated entries with corrective actions, including dust complaints from neighbours, suspect contamination loads, and exceedance results.

10. Review and management-of-change records. Evidence that the documents above are reviewed at defined intervals (typically annually) and after any change in plant, process, input stream or workforce.

Building this documentation pack from scratch can feel daunting — but most operators already have 60–70% of it in scattered form. The fastest path to audit-ready is a structured gap assessment, a documented control plan, and a single index that points an inspector to the relevant evidence.

Related in this cluster: dust and silica risk overview, silica monitoring obligations, asbestos contamination risk, dust control measures, and evidence-based WHS records.