Australia is experiencing an epidemic of occupational dust disease and related lung cancers, and it is expected to continue without significant intervention from regulators, employers and medical specialists. Once thought to be eradicated, occupational lung diseases, particularly in relation to engineered stone, have been making headlines across the country. Nearly one in four engineered stone workers employed in the industry prior to 2018 have been diagnosed with silicosis or other silica-dust-related diseases, and in response a national ban on engineered stone was implemented in July 2024.
Occupational dust disease refers to a category of illnesses that arise from inhaling dust particles in the workplace. These diseases can stem from exposure to various types of dust, including mineral dust (such as silica or asbestos), organic dust (from plants or animals), and chemical dust (from industrial processes). The health effects of occupational dust diseases can range from respiratory issues like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to more severe conditions such as pneumoconiosis or lung cancer.
The engineered stone benchtop industry is only one of many industries where workers are exposed to harmful dust and fumes. Evidence clearly identifies other industries where workers are at risk including quarrying, construction, tunnelling, mining and many manufacturing processes. Safe Work Australia provides guidelines and regulations to ensure the health and safety of workers exposed to harmful and hazardous dust and fumes.
The Australian Government launched the National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry in May 2024 to support earlier detection, intervention and prevention of occupational lung disease on a unified national basis. Workplaces across Australia with workers exposed to hazardous chemicals and dust – those who perform industrial welding, for example – stand to benefit from the registry, and the work being done by researchers and government.
If you haven't heard of the National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry before, the information below will provide an understanding of the registry itself and how it will provide a better understanding of how widespread occupational respiratory diseases are, help reduce worker exposure, and improve the quality of life for the workers affected.
The history of the National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry
In response to the reemergence of silicosis, the Australian Government formed a National Dust Disease Taskforce to develop a national approach to the prevention, early identification, control, and management of occupational dust diseases in Australia. The taskforce delivered a report in June 2021 with a series of recommendations, including the formation of a national registry. In April 2022 the Australian and state and territory governments released their response to the final report of the taskforce. On November 22 2023, the NAtional Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry Act 2023 received Royal Assent.
An initiative of the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care, the registry aims to capture and share data on the number of people affected by workplace exposure to respiratory disease-causing agents.The National Dust Disease Task Force recommended the national registry as a way to understand common, widespread occupational respiratory diseases and help reduce exposure to dust-related diseases.
Ultimately, this will help to detect new and emerging health threats, identify at-risk workers, and enhance preventative policy development and the delivery of services for occupational respiratory diseases.Interventions and prevention strategies for occupational respiratory disease is particularly important for workers in high-risk industries, as the health risk brought about by occupational exposures can be significant without adequate control measures.
In fact, occupational lung diseases, including serious varieties like silicosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, have become much more prevalent over the past 15 years. While some of this increase can be attributed to improved diagnostic techniques, the underlying exposure to harmful dust and fumes that cause disease needs to be considered.
The national registry is part of an important movement to increase awareness of occupational respiratory diseases in workplaces as well as places most at risk of causative exposures to respiratory diseases, like construction, mining, and tunnelling.
What you need to know about dust diseases
Beyond our core services of pre-employment medicals, injury management and independent medical examinations, the team at 4cRisk are experts on the subject of dust diseases.
Common respiratory disease-causing agents include tobacco smoke, radon, asbestos and other forms of air pollution, which can make it difficult to prevent occupational exposure for some workers.
Respiratory diseases such as black lung and coal workers' pneumoconiosis can be particularly devastating for a patient's health long-term.
Reporting respiratory diseases: who and when?
The National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry requires Occupational and Physicians and Respiratory Physicians to report any confirmed diagnosis of silicosis with or without patient consent. Reporting other occupational respiratory diseases to the registry is strongly encouraged with patient consent, but is not mandated by law.
The importance of health monitoring by occupational physicians
To protect worker's respiratory health and prevent occupational respiratory diseases, interventions and prevention strategies are essential, beginning with effective information collection processes.
Drawing on their medical specialties, respiratory and occupational physicians are an important safeguard against black lung, silicosis and other occupational respiratory diseases.
A prescribed medical practitioner is the best person to identify and record any new incidence of occupational lung diseases to the National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry.
As mandated by the Australian Government, this information collection process plays an important role in the prevention of occupational respiratory diseases.
What is National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry data used for?
The National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry stores data on occupational respiratory diseases in Australia.
The Australian Government shares this data with health agencies in each state and territory, where it is used to develop an understanding of the spread of occupational respiratory diseases within their state and make plans to minimise causative exposures.
The health monitoring process for occupational lung diseases has widespread benefits for workers and employers across a range of industries.
Report data can become the catalyst for safer methods of completing job tasks, affording better protection against occupational respiratory diseases and keeping workforces strong by anticipating trends, adjusting environments and treating symptoms.
Our work with Occupational Respiratory Disease
At 4cRisk, our Consultant Occupational Physicians offer a variety of services, including Pre-Employment/Statutory medicals, Injury Management, Independent Medical Examinations and Consultancy for a variety of industries Australia-wide, with a particular focus on coal, mining and tunnelling operations.
4cRisk have developed and implemented an innovative medical surveillance program aimed at identifying and managing the early diagnosis of silicosis. This is a comprehensive and innovative health surveillance program, requiring collaboration between the client, 4cRisk, Occupational Hygienists and world-renowned specialists in the field of Dust Disease to develop a Clinical Pathways Procedure. As a direct result of this partnership and collaboration, affected workers have disease diagnosed earlier, with direct access to be reviewed by these specialists.
For more information on our work with occupational respiratory diseases, reach out to our friendly team.
