Industries · Foundries and manufacturing
Silica Screening for Foundry and Manufacturing Workers
Sand moulds, cores, fettling, abrasive blasting and refractory work can all expose plant workers to respirable crystalline silica. ILOXAUS images your crew at the plant, with every X-ray classified to the ILO standard by a NIOSH-certified B Reader radiologist.
Why plants screen on site
Production lines do not stop easily. Sending operators to a clinic pulls people off the line and disrupts shifts. Screening at the plant lets supervisors release workers a few at a time, so output keeps moving while the whole workforce is imaged.
NSW’s Code of Practice for managing respirable crystalline silica lists foundry casting among the activities that count as processing crystalline silica.
Plant work we screen
- Sand casting and moulding
- Core making and knock-out
- Fettling, grinding and finishing
- Abrasive blasting
- Refractory lining and furnace relining
- Brick, tile, glass and ceramics manufacturing
- Concrete products and pre-cast plants
Where we screen plant workers
Sites off the road network are covered by our Flight Ready unit, which travels by air with our team for remote, offshore and FIFO work.
NIOSH-certified B Reader · ILO classification
ILO classification by a NIOSH-certified B Reader
An image on its own is not a health monitoring record. Every chest X-ray we take is read and classified against the ILO International Classification of Radiographs of Pneumoconioses by a NIOSH-certified B Reader radiologist, so the result is consistent and defensible for your records, for regulators and for your workers. Single ILO reads and dual reads with adjudication are both available.
How a plant screening visit runs
01
Book a visit
Send us your plant location, shift pattern and headcount, and we plan the visit around production.
02
We come to you
The unit sets up at your plant, near the amenities or first aid room.
03
Screen on site
Chest X-rays are taken on location, worker by worker, between tasks rather than off site.
04
ILO-classified results
A NIOSH-certified B Reader classifies each X-ray and results are reported to you and your workers.
Health monitoring duties for plant workers
Under the model WHS Regulations, crystalline silica is one of the hazardous chemicals listed in Schedule 14 for health monitoring. Where a worker’s exposure is a significant risk to their health, the business must provide health monitoring under the supervision of a registered medical practitioner.
Safe Work Australia’s guidance for crystalline silica includes a full PA chest X-ray among the monitoring tests. We supply that imaging on site, classified to the ILO standard, as a single read or a dual read with adjudication. Confirm your specific obligations with your regulator or occupational physician.
Frequently asked questions
Can you screen without stopping production?
Yes. Imaging takes a few minutes per worker, so supervisors can release people a few at a time while the line keeps running.
Can you cover multiple shifts?
Yes. We can schedule across day, afternoon and night shifts so every operator is screened.
Who reads and classifies the X-rays?
Every X-ray is classified against the ILO International Classification of Radiographs of Pneumoconioses by a NIOSH-certified B Reader radiologist. You can choose a single ILO read, or a dual read with adjudication for an added layer of certainty.
Do you provide lung function testing?
We provide the onsite chest X-ray and its ILO-classified report. Lung function testing, any CT imaging and the medical assessment are arranged through your supervising doctor, and our report forms the imaging part of the record.
What do you need on site?
A room of about 3 m by 3 m with a power point, such as a first aid room or office. We confirm the details with you before the visit.
How do we get the results?
Once each X-ray has been classified we report back to you and your workers, so the result can go straight into your health monitoring records.
Book silica screening for your plant
Send through your plant location, shift pattern and approximate headcount and we will come back with availability and a written quote.
Or email booking@iloxaus.au