Silica in the News
The Queensland Government has introduced Australia’s first dust-related disease register in an effort to provide better workplace health and safety protection to workers.
Pneumoconiosis, silicosis and other occupational dust diseases will now be recorded on the Queensland health notifiable dust lung disease register. Read more: safetowork.com.au
The federal government has been called on to develop a national dust-related diseases register to cope with the nation’s spiralling silicosis epidemic.
The plea from Queensland’s Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace is backed by law firms handling the multitude of compensation claims from the growing number of stonemasons afflicted with the incurable lung disease Read more: theaustralian.com.au
Dust-related-disease advocates say a new public register is a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done for sufferers of the debilitating disease silicosis.
Following changes made by the Queensland government, all instances of pneumoconiosis, silicosis and other occupational dust diseases will now be recorded on the Queensland Health Notifiable Dust Lung Disease Register.
Read more: brisbanetimes.com.au
The nation’s top coal mine safety regulator told members of Congress on Thursday that existing safety regulations are sufficient to protect miners from toxic dust, despite calls for change amid an epidemic of advanced black lung disease among coal miners in Appalachia.
Assistant Secretary of Labor David Zatezalo, testifying before the House Workforce Protections Subcommittee, said sampling from coal mines shows a 99 percent compliance rate with rules designed to limit workers’ exposure to silica, the dust blamed for the disease outbreak. Read more: www.pbs.org
Victims of the silicosis epidemic gripping Queensland's tradies are set to meet on the Gold Coast to form a support network.
More than 130 men have so far been diagnosed with the potentially fatal disease.
Of those, more than 20 - one aged just 22 - have been diagnosed with progressive massive fibrosis (PMF), which is a death sentence. Read more: sbs.com.au
With cases of coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (black lung disease) and progressive massive fibrosis (PMF) spiking, two unions have called on the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to step up standards to protect miners from silica dust.
The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) and United Steelworkers (USW) said in a statement on Wednesday that silica was believed to be responsible for a large rise in cases of black lung disease among coal miners in central Appalachia. Read more: m.miningweekly.com
Thousands of Australians are at risk of developing silicosis
Thank you for your report about silicosis on The Project on Tuesday 18 June 2019. We appreciate the effort in raising awareness about the disease to a national audience.
We would like to clarify that workers’ compensation schemes in Australia operate under state-based legislation. As a result, each scheme is quite different in what it covers and how it operates.
Read more: 10daily.com.au
A popular type of stone used to make benchtops has been dubbed the “new asbestos”
There's a warning at least 1000 Kiwis may have been exposed to a potentially hazardous dust in the workplace, dubbed the 'new asbestos'.
Engineered stone is an increasingly popular choice for kitchen, bathroom and laundry bench tops.
Read more: tvnz.co.nz
WorkSafe has been conducting a proactive inspection program to look at safety and health issues in stone benchtop fabricators.
The program will be conducted for the remainder of this financial year, and will continue throughout the 2019/20 financial year. Read more: miragenews.com
Hundreds of Kiwi stonemasons are likely affected by an incurable and sometimes fatal lung disease from cutting stone bench tops - but don't yet know it.
The dire warning comes from leading occupational physician Dr Alexandra Muthu who is working alongside government to prepare for what she says is a disease "more significant" than asbestos. Read more: stuff.co.nz
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