Responses to a national survey released today reveal tunnel construction workers across Australia say they face significant exposure to silica dust, a harmful dust that can cause incurable diseases such as silicosis and lung cancer.
Research led by the University of Sydney Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, The study is based on a survey of 290 tunneling industry workers and industry professionals from September 2024 to June 2025. This study highlights a potentially significant gap between awareness of silica risks and effective implementation of safety management.
“Workers understand the risks, but our findings show that the systems in place do not consistently protect workers. This is not a knowledge gap; it is a failure of leadership, accountability and enforcement, and workers will ultimately pay the price with their health,” said Kate Cole-OAM, principal investigator and doctoral candidate in the School of Medicine and Health, who has worked on large-scale infrastructure and construction projects, including tunneling, for more than 20 years.
Despite the widespread recognition of the risks, 62.5% of survey respondents reported barriers to effective dust control, with time pressure, lack of management involvement, and weak regulatory enforcement identified as key issues. Most people were concerned about exposure to silica dust and developing silica-related illnesses.
Key findings from the survey of tunnel excavators
- 14.2 percent of participants reported having a silica-related disease or condition, the most common being chronic bronchitis, silicosis, or rheumatoid arthritis.
- The conditions of most work groups (groups of workers performing similar tasks) were determined by experts to exceed workplace exposure limits for silica dust.
- Almost half of survey respondents do not believe regulators are effective in promoting safe practices, and workers report having the lowest confidence in dust control measures.
- Advance notice of inspections has been given, and several survey respondents claim that workplace conditions have been temporarily altered to make the project appear compliant with dust prevention measures. For example, one respondent said, “You can’t really see what’s going on unless you’re there, and the site advertises the visit to make it look good, and the numbers are wrong and the measurements aren’t true. It’s like they come in, check a box, and leave.”
Culture and pressure that undermine safety
Workers surveyed described environments in which raising concerns could jeopardize their job security and where dust control may not be prioritized to meet tight deadlines.The study found that workplace culture and project pressures tend to prioritize production over safety.
Some participants reported conditions so dusty that they could only see a few meters ahead. ”
Kate Cole OAM, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
Although most workers surveyed reported that air monitoring was carried out in the workplace, confidence in these results was low. Many expressed concern that surveillance was sometimes carried out in work environments that were artificially altered to appear better than normal, and that the results were not consistently shared.
“This shows a lack of transparency and accountability,” Cole said.
The study acknowledged improvements in dust control technology over the past decade, including improved ventilation systems, enclosed cabins, and increased use of respiratory protection. But the researchers cautioned that based on their findings, the measures may not be applied consistently or may be relied on too often instead of controlling the source of the hazard. The survey calls for increased regulatory enforcement and oversight of this high-risk industry, and while unions and regulators have significant influence, respondents have inconsistent views about their effectiveness.
“As Australia’s infrastructure pipeline continues to expand without systemic change, preventable diseases will remain an ongoing risk to thousands of workers,” Mr Cole said.
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Reference magazines:
Cole, K. others. (2026). Perceptions of respirable crystalline silica exposure in the Australian tunneling industry: A survey of stakeholder attitudes towards worker health protection. Australian and New Zealand Public Health Journal. DOI: 10.1016/j.anzjph.2026.100323. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1326020026000129?via%3Dihub
