DUST lung diseases such as pneumoconiosis and silicosis will require notification from doctors to a government department under legislation introduced in Queensland.
As part of the Health and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2018, the Public Health Act 2005 will be amended to create a Notifiable Dust Lung Disease Register to record cases of coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, silicosis and other lung conditions caused by occupational exposure to inorganic dust.
Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy Dr Anthony Lynham said once the register was established, occupational and respiratory specialists would be required to notify Queensland Health when they diagnose patients with specific dust lung diseases.
Dr Lynham said the move was part of reforms to aid the safety and welfare of mine workers.
The new register has been proposed to capture incidences of lung diseases from all working environments in which employees are exposed to inorganic dust, enabling health authorities to monitor emerging occupational lung diseases such as CWP and silicosis.
“A number of other operational activities also are in train—for example, the coal mining inspectorate has focused regulatory activity on the control and monitoring of respirable dust,’’ Dr Lynham said.
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