New measures are designed to improve health outcomes for workers in the coal mining, artificial stone and other dust‐generating industries
In Australia, there has recently been a worrying resurgence of dust‐related lung diseases (pneumoconioses) previously assumed to be obsolete. Pneumoconioses are chronic fibrotic lung diseases produced by inhaling mineral dust or dusts (pneumon = lung; konis = dust [Greek]). Conditions include coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (black lung disease) and silicosis.1,2,3,4 Many cases of these diseases have been described in Australia for the first time in over 40 years, including a new type of accelerated silicosis caused by cutting and polishing engineered (artificial) stone seen in kitchen and bathroom benchtop workers.5,6 The latter has occurred in men, often at the height of their working lives, producing much disability and distress and resulting in completely preventable deaths. Artificial stone silicosis differs from other types of silicosis in that it progresses more rapidly and is also associated with a higher rate of development of autoimmunity than classical silicosis.
The full article is accessible to AMA members and paid subscribers. Login to read more or purchase a subscription now.
Please note: institutional and Research4Life access to the MJA is now provided through Wiley Online Library.
- 1. McCall C. The cost of complacency: black lung in Australia. Lancet 2017; 390: 727–729.
- 2. Morgan J. Black lung is still a threat. Lancet Respir Med 2018; 6: 745–746.
- 3. Yates DH, Gibson PG, Hoy R, et al. Down under in the coal mines. Am J RespirCrit Care Med 2016; 194: 772–773.
- 4. Zosky G, Hoy R, Silverstone E, et al. Coal workers’ pneumoconiosis: an Australian perspective. Med J Aust 2016; 414–418. https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2016/204/11/coal-workers-pneumoconiosis-australian-perspective
- 5. Matar E, Blake L, Johnson AR, et al. A case of complicated silicosis resulting from occupational exposure to engineered stone products. Med J Aust 2017; 206: 385–386. https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2017/206/9/complicated-silicosis-resulting-occupational-exposure-engineered-stone-products
- 6. Hoy RF, Baird T, Hammerschlag G, et al. Artificial stone‐associated silicosis: a rapidly emerging occupational lung disease. Occup Environ Med 2018; 75: 3–5.
- 7. Leung CC, Yu ITS, Chen W. Silicosis. Lancet 2012; 379: 2008–2018.
- 8. American Thoracic Society Committee of the Scientific Assembly on Environmental and Occupational Health. Adverse effects of crystalline silica exposure. Am J RespirCrit Care Med 1997; 155: 761–765.
- 9. Go LH, Krefft SD, Cohen RA, Rose CS. Lung disease and coal mining: what pulmonologists need to know. Curr Opin Pulm 2016; 22: 170–178.
- 10. Sim M, Glass D, Hoy R, et al. Review of respiratory component of the Coal Miner Workers’ Health Scheme. Melbourne: Monash University and University of Illinois at Chicago, 2016. https://www.resources.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/383940/monash-qcwp-final-report-2016.pdf (viewed Mar 2021).
- 11. Coal Workers’ Pneumoconiosis Select Committee. Black lung white lies:inquiry into the re‐identification of Coal Workers’ Pneumoconiosis in Queensland (Report No. 2, 55th Parliament). Brisbane: Queensland Parliament, 2017. https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/tableOffice/TabledPapers/2017/5517T815.pdf (viewed Mar 2021).
- 12. Blanc P, Seaton A. Pneumoconiosis redux: coal workers pneumoconiosis and silicosis are still a problem. Am J RespirCrit Care Med 2016; 193: 603–604.
- 13. Hoy RF, Glass DC, Dimitriadis C, at al. Identification of early‐stage silicosis through health screening of stone benchtop industry workers in Victoria, Australia. Occup Environ Med 2021; 78: 296–302.
- 14. Yates DH, Johnson AR. Silicosis and other silica‐related disorders. In: Feary J, Suojalehto H, Cullinan P, editors. Occupational and environmental lung disease. Sheffield: European Respiratory Society, 2020.
- 15. Steenland K, Ward E. Silica: a lung carcinogen. CA Cancer J Clin 2014; 64: 63–69.
- 16. Shtraichman O, Blanc PD, Ollech JE, et al. Outbreak of autoimmune disease in silicosis linked to artificial stone. Occup Med 2015; 65: 444–450.
- 17. Turner MT, Samuel SR, Silverstone EJ, et al. Silica exposure and connective tissue disease: an under‐recognised association in three Australian artificial stone workers. Am J RespirCrit Care Med 2019; 201: 378–380.
- 18. Industrial Injuries Advisory Council. Occupational exposure to crystalline silica and its relation to connective tissue diseases (Position Paper 42). London: IIAC, 2018. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/717051/occupational-exposure-to-crystalline-silica-and-its-relation-to-connective-tissue-diseases-iiac-position-paper-42.pdf (viewed Mar 2021).
- 19. Wagner GR. Screening and surveillance of workers exposed to mineral dusts. Geneva: International Labour Organization, 1996. www.ilo.org/global/topics/safety-and-health-at-work/resources-library/publications/WCMS_154922/lang--en/index.htm (viewed Mar 2021).
- 20. International Labour Organization. Occupational health: silicosis. www.ilo.org/global/topics/safety-and-health-at-work/areasofwork/occupational-health/WCMS_108566/lang--en/index.htm (viewed Mar 2021).
- 21. National Dust Disease Taskforce. Interim advice to Minister for Health, December 2019. Canberra: Australian Government Department of Health, 2019. https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/ohp-nat-dust-disease-taskforce.htm/$File/nat-dusk-interim-advice-dec2019.pdf (viewed Mar 2021).
- 22. Perret JL, Miles S, Brims F, et al. Respiratory surveillance for coal mine dust and artificial stone exposed workers in Australia and New Zealand: a position statement from the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand. Respirology 2020; 25: 1193–1202.
- 23. Cooper BG, Stocks J, Hall GL, et al. The Global Lung Function Initiative (GLI) Network: bringing the world’s respiratory reference values together. Breathe 2017; 13: e56–e64.
- 24. National Health and Medical Research Council. Schedule of recommended maximum concentrations of atmospheric contaminants for occupational exposures. Canberra: NHMRC, 1964.
- 25. Safe Work Australia. Workplace exposure standards for airborne contaminants. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia, 2019. https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/system/files/documents/1912/workplace-exposure-standards-airborne-contaminants.pdf (viewed Oct 2020).
- 26. Safe Work Australia. Mining. Mining regulation. https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/industry_business/mining (viewed Oct 2020).
- 27. American Conference of Governmental and Industrial Hygienists. TLV/BEI guidelines. www.acgih.org/science/tlv-bei-guidelines (viewed Mar 2021).
- 28. Royal Australian College of General Practitioners: gplearning. Australia’s emerging occupational health epidemic — silicosis.https://gplearning.racgp.org.au/Content/Tempo/201908_Silicosis.html (viewed Mar 2021).
No relevant disclosures.