Alarming silicosis rate in Australia brings calls for urgent action
Australia’s largest union representing workers in construction, forestry, maritime and mining and energy is demanding urgent national action on silicosis after revelations that 1-in-5 Queensland stone workers tested positive to the potentially fatal disease.
The Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU ) which has more than 100,000 members across Australia, says the severity of the risks associated with engineered stone products calls for a nationally coordinated approach rather than piecemeal regulations and health monitoring programs in states and territories.