Silica in the News
emand from India’s booming construction industry for granite, sandstone and other minerals has seen the commissioning of more and more stone quarries in mineral-rich states like Madhya Pradesh.
For the people employed by the quarries, however, the work is not only dangerous but potentially lethal. Read more: atimes.com
A trust, which will disburse funds for mine workers who contracted silicosis and tuberculosis, is to be established in April 2019, says the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on the revitalisation of distressed mining communities.
With an alarming number of cases being confirmed across the country, doctors say silicosis could be the next occupational lung disease crisis to hit Australia since the asbestos disaster.
Here's what you need to know about the disease, and why some workers may not know they have it. Read more - abc.net.au
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt is asking state workplace regulators to immediately investigate risks to the health of stonemasons, and stop unsafe work practices.
It comes after calls from the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and …
Read more - abc.net.au
By Michael Atkin
Doctors are worried Australia is facing the worst occupational lung disease crisis since the peak of the asbestos disaster.
Stonemasons who cut engineered stone into a popular type of kitchen benchtop are contracting accelerated silicosis at alarming levels, after being exposed to unsafe levels of silica dust
The Royal Australasian College of Physicians and the Thoracic Society are calling for urgent national health screening of stonemasons to check for the dust lung disease, silicosis.
The Queensland Government and WorkCover Queensland yesterday confirmed 35 stonemasons have the potentially fatal disease, after cutting engineered stone kitchen bench tops.
Persons conducting a business or undertaking in Queensland must immediately cease uncontrolled dry cutting, grinding or polishing of artificial / engineered stone bench tops.
After the discovery of twenty two new cases in the past three weeks, of the dust disease, silicosis, the Federal Government has ordered a review of the rules on exposure in the workplace to silica dust.
Read More: ABC Radio PM
Recent compliance audits of engineered stone benchtop manufacturers conducted by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland have found multiple instances of workers being exposed to RCS. As a result:
five prohibition notices were issued for activities involving exposure to workers, dry cutting, guarding and plant maintenance issues
twenty-three improvement notices were issued for health monitoring, fit testing of respiratory protective equipment and inadequate dust control issues.
Read More: Worksafe Qld
“Crystalline silica is the new asbestos, but Australians are simply not aware of the dangers involved in working with such a common substance as compressed stone,” Victorian Trades Hall Council (VTHC) See greenleft.org.au
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