Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L00417:body:0:p6
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L00417
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 13296–16157

substances. Although exposure standards may also be listed in Section 8 of the Safety Data Sheet (SDS), you should always check the Workplace Exposure Standards for Airborne Contaminants or HSIS to be certain.
If the blasting medium or the surface being blasted contains any crystalline silica, lead or any other substance with an exposure standard, you must ensure that workers are not exposed to levels that exceed the relevant exposure standard.

To comply with the WHS Regulations, monitoring of workplace contaminant levels for chemicals with exposure standards may need to be carried out.

Guidance on interpreting exposure standards is available in the Guidance on the Interpretation
of Workplace Exposure Standards for Airborne Contaminants.

    2.2 Assessing the risks

Under the WHS Regulations, a risk assessment is not mandatory for abrasive blasting activities however it is required for specific situations, for example when working in a confined space.
In many circumstances a risk assessment will assist in determining the control measures
that should be implemented. It will help to:
    * identify which workers are at risk of exposure
    * determine what sources and processes are causing that risk
    * identify if and what kind of control measures should be implemented
    * check the effectiveness of existing control measures.
The following questions may help to assess the risk:
    * How often, and for how long, will exposure to the hazard occur?
    * In the event of exposure to the hazard, will the outcome be severe, moderate or mild?
    * What are the properties of the blasting medium being used?
    * What is the substrate being blasted?
    * What are the surface coatings of the items being blasted? For example do they contain lead or other toxic metals
    * What are the conditions under which abrasive blasting is carried out (for example,
      confined spaces)?
    * What are the skills, competence and experience of the operator?

Monitoring airborne contaminant levels

Regulation 50 A person conducting a business or undertaking at a workplace must ensure that air monitoring is carried out to determine the airborne concentration of a substance or mixture
at the workplace to which an exposure standard applies if:
    * the person is not certain on reasonable grounds whether or not the airborne concentration
      of the substance or mixture at the workplace exceeds the relevant exposure standard; or
    * monitoring is necessary to determine whether there is a risk to health.
The results of air monitoring must be recorded and kept for 30 years after the date the record is made.
Air monitoring is the sampling of workplace atmospheres to obtain an estimate of workers' potential inhalation exposure to hazardous chemicals.
Air monitoring can be used:
    * when there is uncertainty about the level