'Black lung, white lies' report released

The Parliamentary Committee Inquiry into the re-identification of Coal Workers’ Pneumoconiosis in Queensland has released a report.

Called ‘Black lung white lies’, the report was prepared by the Coal Workers’ Pneumoconiosis Select Committee, which was established by the Queensland Parliament on 15 September 2016. After taking evidence from over 190 witnesses, the committee has concluded “there has been a catastrophic failure, at almost every level, of the regulatory system intended to protect the health and safety of coal workers in Queensland”.

As at 29 May 2017, it has been reported that 21 current and former coalmine workers in Queensland have been diagnosed with CWP or ‘black lung’ disease and all have been confirmed through the DNRM (Department of Natural Resources and Mines) process.

Black lung is a condition caused by a build-up of coal dust in the lungs, usually after being exposed over a long period of time in poorly ventilated coalmines. It can leave its victims with shortness of breath, a severe cough, a feeling of pressure in the chest or obstructed airways. If left untreated, black lung can worsen to progressive massive fibrosis causing major damage to lung tissue, which can lead to heart problems, coughing up black mucus or blood, or even premature death.

This preventable disease ceased to be a health concern for coalminers in Australia largely due to a regulatory system that was set up to monitor and detect health issues affecting workers. This was until the first case of coal workers’ pneumoconiosis in a Queensland coalminer in 30 years was diagnosed in May 2015, which was formally reported in September 2015.

The Construction Forestry Mining Energy Union (CFMEU) said at the time it believed the outbreak of new cases meant the system, which included chest X-rays for workers, had not been maintained. Another contributing factor, according to the union, was due to individual mining companies being left to monitor dust in mines without independent checks, an issue also compounded by long breaks in between dust level checks.

The Parliamentary Committee report has recommended that an improved regulatory system be established “including a truly independent regulator and fully functional health scheme”. The report also suggests there is strong evidence to indicate that the current occupational exposure limit (OEL) should be reduced to 1.0 mg/m³.

In late 2016, Safe Work Australia (SWA) commenced a review of workplace OELs, including respirable coal dust and respirable silica. The report’s committee understands SWA aims to release a consultation Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) for public comment in October 2017.

The full report, which includes 68 recommendations, is available here.