Industries · Tunnelling and construction
Silica Screening for Tunnelling and Construction Crews
Tunnel boring, spoil handling, concrete cutting and demolition all put respirable crystalline silica in the air. ILOXAUS sets up at your site compound and images the crew between shifts, with every X-ray classified to the ILO standard by a NIOSH-certified B Reader radiologist.
Why tunnel and construction sites screen on site
Major tunnel and civil projects run around the clock with large, rotating crews. Getting every worker to a clinic is hard to schedule and easy to fall behind on. Screening at the site compound fits around shift changes, captures night shift and keeps the program on track.
Regulators are watching tunnelling dust closely. SafeWork NSW has carried out more than 100 inspections at Sydney metro tunnelling sites since January 2024.
Tunnelling and construction work we screen
- Tunnel boring machine and road header crews
- Spoil handling, muck haulage and treatment
- Shotcrete, segment and concrete works
- Concrete cutting, coring and chasing
- Demolition and strip-out
- Road, rail and civil earthworks
- Brick, block and masonry trades
Where we screen project crews
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 project screening visit runs
01
Book a visit
Send us your project location, crew size and shift pattern, and we plan access to the compound.
02
We come to you
The unit mobilises to your site compound by road, or flies in where a truck cannot reach.
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.
Silica rules for tunnelling and construction
The workplace exposure standard for respirable crystalline silica is 0.05 mg/m³ as an eight-hour time-weighted average. NSW’s Code of Practice for managing respirable crystalline silica treats tunnelling through material that contains crystalline silica as processing, and in Victoria high risk crystalline silica work needs a hazard control statement before it starts.
Where exposure is a significant risk to health, the business must provide health monitoring supervised by a registered medical practitioner, and that monitoring can include a chest X-ray. We supply that imaging on site, classified to the ILO standard. Confirm your obligations with your regulator or occupational physician.
Frequently asked questions
Can you screen night shift?
Yes. We schedule around your roster, including night shift, swing changes and shutdown windows, so every crew is covered.
Where do you set up on a project?
Usually in or beside the site compound or amenities, so workers can be imaged between tasks without leaving site.
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.
How many workers can you screen in a visit?
Imaging takes a few minutes per worker, so large crews can be screened across one or more visits. Tell us your headcount and roster and we will plan the days.
Which projects do you travel to?
Metro, regional and remote projects across the states we cover. Where a truck cannot reach, our Flight Ready unit travels by air with our team.
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 project
Send through your project location and approximate crew size and we will come back with availability and a written quote.
Or email booking@iloxaus.au