Authorities have yielded to widespread concerns about the horrifying effects of black lung, and passed new rules to protect Queensland coal miners from the deadly disease.
Queensland Parliament will make a suite of health and safety reforms become law from 1 January 2017. Changes have been made to coal health and safety laws that will make dust level information publicly available. Health checks will be compulsory for underground and above-ground miners as well as reporting of black lung cases to the State Government.
“These regulatory changes are a critical element of our commitment to detect and prevent all forms of coal mine dust lung disease – including coal workers’ pneumoconiosis,” Queensland Natural Resources and Mines Minister Dr Anthony Lynham says.
“This is a disease that does not belong in the 21st Century, and I am determined to continue to work with industry, unions and doctors to protect our coal miners. This system ensures every worker’s chest x-ray is examined independently by at least two medical experts.
“I encourage any mine worker – past or present – who has concerns about their respiratory health to see their doctor.”
Eighteen Queensland miners have been diagnosed with coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, which is caused by long-term exposure to respirable coal dust.
Following introduction of the dual reading screening system in July 2016, more than 2000 coal mine worker chest x-rays have been read first by an Australian radiologist and sent to be read by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
Under the new regulations:
- all new coal mine workers will undergo a health assessment, including respiratory function and chest x-ray examinations, on entry into the industry – enabling doctors to detect changes that may occur over time
- above-ground coal mine workers will undergo a chest x-ray and respiratory function test at least once every 10 years. If they have worked underground, it will be at least every five years
- companies will be required to provide dust monitoring data to the Mines Inspectorate every three months
- an advisory committee of industry, union and government representatives will review the data and it will be published online
- black lung will become a notifiable disease, meaning mining companies must report known cases to the Queensland Mines Inspectorate
- coal mine workers permanently retiring from the industry can now ask their employer for a retirement examination, including respiratory function and chest x-ray examination
- chest x-ray examinations to be performed in accordance with International Labour Organisation guidelines
Tougher regulations are part of the three-pronged approach announced in July to:
- prevent new cases of coal workers’ pneumoconiosis
- identify existing cases early
- provide a safety net for workers with the disease.