The mining union is warning to expect more cases of the deadly black lung disease to emerge, following the confirmation another coal miner has been diagnosed.
The potentially fatal disease is caused by breathing excessive levels of coal dust over long periods, causing irreparable lung damage, and it was thought to have been eradicated 30 years ago.
A recent interim report from the Senate Select Committee on Health blamed a perfect storm of regulatory failure and mining industry indifference for the disease’s re-emergence.
Steve Smyth, the CFMEU Queensland mining division president, said the union knew of at least five more cases of coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, also known as black lung, and a national approach was needed to combat the disease.
He said of those miners, some had spent time in NSW.
“So there is a linkage there of a lot of these guys have worked in NSW and come to Queensland,” Mr Smyth said.
“And anywhere where you produce coal and people are exposed to coal dust, there’s going to be the risk of them being exposed to pneumoconiosis.
“I think people need to take their blinkers off and consider it across a national perspective.”
‘Health assessment system needs to be overhauled’
Queensland Mines Minister Anthony Lyneham informed Parliament last night that the State Government had confirmed another case of black lung disease.
This time the victim was a 55-year-old coal miner from central Queensland, who had worked underground for 28 years.
Mr Lyneham said it was critical government, industry and unions continued to work together to tackle the re-emergence of the disease.
“I continue to expect full, frank and considerate advice from the Coalmining Safety and Health Advisory Committee of union, employer and departmental representatives,” he said.
Mr Lyneham urged all coal miners to have thorough health checks.
“I commit here again in this House to take whatever action is required to protect the health and safety of our coal miners and I’d urge any coal miner with health concerns to see their GP,” he said.
Queensland Resources Council chief executive Michael Roche said the mining industry was not entirely to blame.
“It’s very concerning to learn that another worker has been confirmed as having pneumoconiosis,” he said.
“It’s also concerning that this workers’ condition seems to have only come to light when his employer gave him the chance to be re-tested.
“So this appears to confirm the findings of the State Government’s review of the health assessment system for coal workers.
“That whole system needs to be overhauled.”
Mr Smyth said the resurgence of the disease was due to “complacency, neglect, people taking their eye off the ball”.
“We had an increase in coal production; we’ve had an increase in the type of equipment we use, the dust levels have been allowed to increase. We haven’t had enforcement of the law,” he said.
“We’ve had an increase of company doctors who are not trained or assessed or competent to read x-rays and we’ve had the regulator who’s allowed coal companies to do whatever they like and mine coal at record rates and record production without enforcing the law.”