Lung Foundation Australia commends engineered stone ban
Lung Foundation Australia has commended the Queensland Government’s adoption of a ban on working with engineered stone from 1 July, including ruling out a transition period. Lung Foundation Australia CEO Mark Brooke said transition periods for engineered stone work would have put workers at risk for longer.
“The latest research tells us one in four stonemasons have developed silicosis, a debilitating, often fatal disease, and this completely preventable resurgence is directly related to engineered stone. This insidious disease currently has no cure, and we know it is going to affect thousands of people over the next few years,” Brooke said.
Lung Foundation Australia has developed vital support services for patients and their families. The charity’s Silicosis Social Work program sits alongside its Silicosis Support Nurse service; both are free, confidential telephone-based support networks for people living with silicosis, their families and carers. Dedicated online peer support groups are also available.
Through the Foundation’s Silicosis Social Work service, patients are helped to navigate the practical and emotional impact of living with silicosis. The organisation can provide information, support and referral pathways for a range of topics, including processing a diagnosis, impact on family and relationships, financial and housing assistance, coping with progression and emotional and mental health support.
The Silicosis Support Nurse service provides information and support around understanding and living with silicosis, including coping with breathlessness, fatigue and other challenging symptoms that come with this disease.
“Lung Foundation Australia has been fighting for the last five years to see the scourge of silicosis taken seriously, and we stand with the thousands of Aussie workers and their families who said enough is enough,” Brooke said.
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