❓ Hon James Hayward raises concerns about silicosis risk in WA industries due to silica dust exposure. The government outlines measures taken, including updated legislation, inspections, and monitoring compliance, with a ban on engineered stone considered if improvements aren't seen.
AnsweredQoN 629Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
SILICOSIS
RISK
629. Hon JAMES HAYWARD to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Industrial Relations:
I refer to the recent findings out of Curtin University of a predicted
rise in cases of silicosis and lung cancer among labourers in the construction,
mining, quarrying and manufacturing industries as a result of occupational
exposure to silica dust.
(1) Is the
minister concerned that some workers are currently being exposed to levels of
respirable crystalline silica that could cause silicosis and lung disease?
(2) What steps
is the government taking to ensure that industries responsible for the
manufacture and processing of engineered stone are more stringently regulated?
(3) Will the
government act on the researchers' recommendations to implement a total
ban of engineered stone; and, if not, why not?
RISK
629. Hon JAMES HAYWARD to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Industrial Relations:
I refer to the recent findings out of Curtin University of a predicted
rise in cases of silicosis and lung cancer among labourers in the construction,
mining, quarrying and manufacturing industries as a result of occupational
exposure to silica dust.
(1) Is the
minister concerned that some workers are currently being exposed to levels of
respirable crystalline silica that could cause silicosis and lung disease?
(2) What steps
is the government taking to ensure that industries responsible for the
manufacture and processing of engineered stone are more stringently regulated?
(3) Will the
government act on the researchers' recommendations to implement a total
ban of engineered stone; and, if not, why not?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of the question. I thank
him for raising the important issue of silicosis, which I actually discussed during private members' business in the
last term of government. I provide the following answer based on
information that has been provided to me by the Minister for Industrial
Relations.
(1) The government takes very seriously the risk posed
by respirable silica particularly, though not exclusively , in the
engineered stone industry. WorkSafe has conducted significant compliance work
with high-risk workplaces to ensure controls
are in place to reduce the health risks from exposure to respiratory
crystalline silica, and this work is continuing.
(2) The
government has introduced the Work Health and Safety Act 2020 and regulations
modernising all legislation relating to work health and safety. The government
has introduced new legislation in the form of
regulations, lowering the workplace exposure standard for respirable
crystalline silica to 0.05 milligrams per
cubic metre from 0.1 milligrams per cubic metre, and banning the uncontrolled
dry cutting of engineered stone. The
regulations also include the requirement for PCBUs to provide health monitoring
for exposed workers, using low-dose, high-resolution computed tomography
scans, which is an Australian first. A Western Australian code of practice, Managing
the risks of respirable crystalline silica from engineered stone in the
workplace , has recently been published. WorkSafe is continuing to conduct compliance inspections at high-risk workplaces. In
the period July 2018 to May 2021, WorkSafe completed 150 workplace
inspections and issued over 1 000 notices—improvement and prohibition.
(3) As outlined
in the All of government's response to the final report of the
National Dust Disease Taskforce , the government will monitor the standards
of compliance in relation to respirable crystalline silica in industry. A ban will be considered if there are no
measurable improvements in compliance and/or preventive measures prove
to be ineffective. Any decision to ban engineered stone products will be
dependent on an objective assessment of the requirements and would, under the
harmonised approach to work health and safety legislation, require
commonwealth, state and territory governments to work together.
him for raising the important issue of silicosis, which I actually discussed during private members' business in the
last term of government. I provide the following answer based on
information that has been provided to me by the Minister for Industrial
Relations.
(1) The government takes very seriously the risk posed
by respirable silica particularly, though not exclusively , in the
engineered stone industry. WorkSafe has conducted significant compliance work
with high-risk workplaces to ensure controls
are in place to reduce the health risks from exposure to respiratory
crystalline silica, and this work is continuing.
(2) The
government has introduced the Work Health and Safety Act 2020 and regulations
modernising all legislation relating to work health and safety. The government
has introduced new legislation in the form of
regulations, lowering the workplace exposure standard for respirable
crystalline silica to 0.05 milligrams per
cubic metre from 0.1 milligrams per cubic metre, and banning the uncontrolled
dry cutting of engineered stone. The
regulations also include the requirement for PCBUs to provide health monitoring
for exposed workers, using low-dose, high-resolution computed tomography
scans, which is an Australian first. A Western Australian code of practice, Managing
the risks of respirable crystalline silica from engineered stone in the
workplace , has recently been published. WorkSafe is continuing to conduct compliance inspections at high-risk workplaces. In
the period July 2018 to May 2021, WorkSafe completed 150 workplace
inspections and issued over 1 000 notices—improvement and prohibition.
(3) As outlined
in the All of government's response to the final report of the
National Dust Disease Taskforce , the government will monitor the standards
of compliance in relation to respirable crystalline silica in industry. A ban will be considered if there are no
measurable improvements in compliance and/or preventive measures prove
to be ineffective. Any decision to ban engineered stone products will be
dependent on an objective assessment of the requirements and would, under the
harmonised approach to work health and safety legislation, require
commonwealth, state and territory governments to work together.
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