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.
The register will help capture incidents of other dust lung diseases from working environments where workers are exposed to inorganic dust.
Queensland Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Steven Miles encouraged all current and former mine workers and stonemasons to undertake a health screening.
“The health and safety of all Queenslanders is our priority, and I’m proud to see these new changes come into effect,” Queensland Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy Anthony Lynham said.
“We are now able to monitor dust lung disease like silicosis and pneumoconiosis and identify any emerging workplace health issues.”
Every Queensland worker has the right to safe working conditions, the Queensland Minister for Industrial Relations Grace Grace added.
Under the new changes, doctors who are specialists in occupational and respiratory medicine are required to report cases of occupational dust lung diseases to the register from July this year.
This initiative was introduced following changes by the Palaszczuk Government to the Public Health Act 2005 and Public Health Regulation 2018.