Charges laid over silica dust exposure

Hilton Stone Pty Ltd is facing a total of six charges under sections 21(2)(a) and 111(4) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and regulations 98 and 169 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations.

The company is accused of failing to provide or maintain a safe system of work by failing to provide proper controls for power tools used to cut, grind or polish engineered stone; and by failing to reduce the risk to employees from machinery, by having an appropriate guard in place.

WorkSafe further alleges Hilton Stone failed to provide employees with appropriate personal protective equipment; failed to put in place health monitoring of employees; and failed to comply with an improvement notice.

The charges follow inspections at the company's Dandenong site between March 2020 and March 2021 as part of WorkSafe's targeted enforcement blitz on crystalline silica risks.

The matter is listed for a filing hearing at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on 26 August.