Kevin Hedges, President of Workplace Health Without Borders (WHWB) (International), and representing the international WHWB Board, has written to Hon Greg Hunt, Minister for Health, Australian Federal Parliament; Hon Grace Grace, Minister for Industrial Relations Queensland State Parliament; and Hon Dr Steven Miles, Minister for Health Queensland State Parliament to inform them that WHWB (International) fully endorses and supports the recommendations of the Australasian Faculty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (AFOEM) and the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ), with regard to workers in Australian stone industries, who are occupationally exposed to silica-containing dust.
Silicosis is an aggressive, debilitating and potentially fatal respiratory disease which develops in workers exposed to silica-containing dust, in a wide variety of industries. Silicosis has no cure, but importantly, it is preventable by following well-established, strict and appropriate work practices.
It is the opinion of WHWB that not following the proposed recommendations to reduce and ultimately eliminate exposure to silica-containing dust will have serious ramifications for both industry and the Government, due to the unprecedented level of negative health impacts.
Dr Graeme Edwards – Occupational Physician and Dr Clare Wood – Occupational Physician and (WHWB International) Board Member, have alerted WHWB (International) about this serious public health issue, and WHWB is currently sharing this information with WHWB members internationally.
WHWB supports AFOEM and TSANZ in their call for;
(1) A national respiratory health surveillance program, with standardised methods of data collection; and
(2) A national occupationally acquired respiratory disease registry for notification of cases.
and especially in their recommendation to immediately ensure silica dust levels are maintained at a safe level at all benchtop fabrication workplaces, in line with legislative requirements, through a series of recommendations for the government, as shown in the attached letter:
Click to access WHWB-letter-Australia-and-Queensland-Ministers.pdf
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