The latest New South Wales Budget has allocated another $2.5 million to get more boots on the ground in the fight against silicosis.

The extra muscle is set to ensure compliance with the July 1 ban on the use, supply, and manufacture of engineered stone across the state.

The funding will go towards more inspectors carrying out site visits and issuing penalties to any non-compliant operators.

“Silicosis is preventable and all workers who are at risk of silicosis will now be registered so that their health is tracked for their lifetime.

“The Government is investing in worker safety as a priority because it is a fundamental right of every worker to go to work and come home safely to their loved ones at the end of the day.”

The additional investment will also protect workers from the dangers of exposure to silica by delivering:

additional program staff to provide education tools and programs to support impacted industries

the development of new notification systems for businesses doing processing work on existing engineered stone in homes and workplaces.