What is Silicosis? The sickness impacting young Aussie men

Experts say cases will grow

Cases of silicosis in Australia have spiked in recent years, and experts say we won’t know the full scope of damage for years to come. So what is silicosis, and who’s still at risk of contracting the disease?

A recent analysis from Monash University found cases of silicosis have risen at a drastic rate in Australia, with more than 500 workers diagnosed with the lung disease in the last ten years in Victoria alone. 

The majority of cases are in stonemasons, but other industries have also been impacted, and experts warn cases could continue to grow. 

There are concerns for people working in construction, tunnelling, excavation, mining, quarrying, and brick, concrete or stone cutting having been exposed to what has been dubbed the 'asbestos of the 2020s'.

What is silicosis?

Caused by breathing in silica dust found in natural stone, sand and concrete, silicosis causes inflammation and scarring to the lungs. It can progress to fibrosis in the lungs and eventuate to difficulty or total inability to breathe. 

Symptoms include coughing, shortness of breath and fatigue – although there are often no symptoms for years after developing the disease. 

According to Cancer Council WA,‘silica dust is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, with prolonged exposure increasing workers’ risk of developing lung cancer.’ 

The nonprofit said in 2023, ‘over half a million Australians are exposed to silica dust at work every year’. 

The nonprofit said in 2023, ‘over half a million Australians are exposed to silica dust at work every year’. Image: iStock

Silicosis is usually found through medical imaging including chest x-rays and CTs, as well as lung functioning testing. 

The disease is progressive, incurable and preventable, yet cases continue to rise.

As per the Herald Sun, Monash researcher Dr Ryan Hoy said “we found the average age (of diagnosis) was about 40 years”, but Aussies as young as 21 have been diagnosed.

GP Dr Michela Sorensen says “It’s really only being spoken about more now due to the increase in cases. Prior to recent times, it has been quite rare.

“Unfortunately there is no current treatment for silicosis, however doctors may recommend supportive measures to manage symptoms” she explains. “Some examples include inhalers, oxygen treatment and in some instances bronchial lavage (“washing out” of the lungs).”

GP Dr Michela Sorensen says “It’s really only being spoken about more now due to the increase in cases. Prior to recent times, it has been quite rare. Image: iStock

What’s behind the spike in cases?

While  awareness and testing have contributed to increased diagnosis, Hoy said, “One (of the reasons for the number of cases) is the extremely hazardous work environment that so many workers have been exposed to.”

The use, supply and manufacture of engineered stone was banned in Australia in July last year, but silica is naturally occurring, and still found in many rocks and soils. 

This includes the soil and rocks under Sydney, where it was revealed last year that thousands of rail and road tunnel workers had been exposed to “high levels” of the carcinogen for several years. This wasn’t initially revealed to the public.

The Australian Workers Union (AWU) Assistant Secretary Chris Donovan said workers could have been exposed to levels of silica dust far higher than those who worked with engineered stone benchtops, thanks to the road headers used in tunnelling. 

Hoy said, “One (of the reasons for the number of cases) is the extremely hazardous work environment that so many workers have been exposed to.” Image: iStock

As per the ABC, occupational physician David Allen said "It's entirely foreseeable that if you're tunnelling through sandstone, you're going to get silica in air and it's going to be respirable and it's going to eventually cause silicosis and death."

"I'm appalled that people were being exposed, it should not happen. But we also knew about asbestos a hundred years ago and look what happened there", he added. 

A spokesperson for Sydney Metro said the safety of workers is a priority, and it actively works to reduce risk to workers.

"I'm appalled that people were being exposed, it should not happen. But we also knew about asbestos a hundred years ago and look what happened there", he added. Image: iStock

The New South Wales government is establishing a taskforce of representatives from the government, union, industry and medicine to try to improve compliance and health monitoring for workers. 

The taskforce will also aim to ensure both workers and the public are made aware of safety standards being breached to address health risks. 

But health experts say the damage is already done and case numbers will continue to rise. 

Lung Foundation Australia CEO Mark Brooke said "history tells us that airways disease can take a long time to appear, if you think about mesothelioma and asbestosis it was 30, 40 years after exposure". 

"Unlike artificial benchtop stone where we saw accelerated and acute silicosis coming through and young workers being diagnosed much quicker, in this case we may not see many of these tunnel workers being diagnosed until their retirement years."

"The fact that we are really late in coming to look at active monitoring of dust on site, and that it took six years to see the recommendations of the dust diseases taskforce actually being implemented, I think is a real indictment on companies that should be keeping their workers safe," he said.

Originally published as What is Silicosis? The sickness impacting young Aussie men