Queensland to reduce coal dust exposure limit

Queensland’s mine workers could soon be subject to lower mine dust exposure standards in a bid to better protect against lung diseases. Queensland Mines Minister Dr Anthony Lynham announced the move on Wednesday, 18 September, saying the state would “match new national recommended standards expected to be released by Safe Work Australia before the end of the year”.

According to the Queensland Government, the current exposure limit for respirable coal dust is 2.5 mg/m³; however, Safe Work Australia is proposing this be reduced to 1.5 mg/m³. “The simplest way to prevent occupational lung diseases like black lung is to protect our miners from mine dust through the effective use of engineering controls,” Dr Lynham said.

The announcement came on the eve of Miners’ Memorial Day, which marks the anniversary of the state’s worst mine disaster at Mount Mulligan on 19 September 1921, when 75 workers died. Hundreds of people, including families of workers killed in mines, were expected to attend the annual service at Moura in North Queensland, the state government said. This year also marks 25 years since 11 men died at the Moura No. 2 coalmine and the 44th anniversary of the Kianga disaster near Moura, when 13 workers died.

Over the past three years, the government has introduced several reforms to help ensure workers’ health and safety, including the proposed legislation to introduce a new, independent health and safety regulator, July and August’s safety reset sessions, and changes to prevent and detect black lung disease among coal workers.

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