Miners fear silicosis and black lung diseases not eradicated but back as case numbers rise

Mining officials are scrambling to determine the extent of the re-emergence of silicosis in the coal industry amid warnings that workers are still being exposed to potentially deadly dust.

MINING officials are scrambling to determine the extent of the re-emergence of silicosis in the coal industry amid warnings that workers are still being exposed to potentially deadly dust.

CFMEU mining branch Queensland president Stephen Smyth said the return of silicosis in mining was a time bomb, and he predicted that diagnosis rates would multiply.

So far, 16 cases have been reported in Queensland, but almost 300 health reports sent to the US for analysis are awaiting confirmation for silicosis, pneumoconiosis (also known as black lung), and other mine-dust lung diseases.

Both silicosis and black lung were considered eradicated.

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Medical and legal experts have called the re-emergence of silicosis the worst industrial health crisis since the deadly asbestos epidemic.

Mr Smyth said about two new cases of mine-dust lung disease were diagnosed weekly.

“Mining explosions kill multiple people and everyone says ‘we better do something about it’, but you have something like this that just ticks away, ticks away, and people die,” he said.

“We had, I think, nine members die last year with the contributing cause of death pneumoconiosis or silicosis on their death certificate.”

CFMEU mining branch Queensland president Stephen Smyth is concerned that diagnosis rates of silicosis would multiply. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Black lung is caused by prolonged exposure to coal dust, while silicosis comes from exposure to crystalline silica, a natural element found in many minerals, sand, soil and granite. At least three coal miners have contracted both diseases.

“The number of black lung cases obviously exceeded silicosis originally but whether it’s one case of silicosis it should be taken pretty seriously,” he said.

“The seams that we mine in Queensland in coal are full of sandstone the open cuts and that’s where 25 per cent of all cases are coming from the open cut which is even more frightening.”

A Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy spokesman said the Government was spending $25 million over two years to deliver more reforms in the mining industry.

Silicosis is not currently a notifiable disease in Queensland however after the emergence of the cluster in stonemasons in September the Government rushed in legislation to create a notifiable dust lung disease register.

The register would record all cases of coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, silicosis and other lung conditions caused by occupational exposure to inorganic dust.