Lung Screening checks are available for Northern Rivers workers as the icare Lung Bus rolls into the Northern Rivers region for the first time in 2026.
The $2.5M dollar Lung Bus (Mobile Screening Clinic) is in Tweed Heads until the 5th of June with several spots available for free screenings.
Local business owners are also encouraged to register for the SafeWork Silica Worker Register and take proactive measures to screen workers exposed to hazardous dust in their workplaces.
The Lung Bus and the Silica Workers Register represent important steps in promoting regular screening and early detection of potentially life-changing hazards in the workplace.
The Register is an online portal for a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) to enter details for workers that process high-risk crystalline silica substances.
SafeWork NSW uses the data to monitor compliance with work health and safety obligations. It is mandatory for PCBUs who have workers at risk of respirable crystalline silica exposures have access to health monitoring.
14 Norther Rivers businesses are registered on the Silica Worker Register, and the NSW Government is urging others to sign up to ensure the safety of their workers.
Screening spaces available from 1-5 June at Cavanbah Sports Complex in Tweed Heads, with local employers encouraged to contact icare by visiting the Lung Screening Service website or calling 1800 550 027
Eliminating the risks associated with silica is a high priority for the Minns Labor Government and the Lung Bus is one of several measures which have been introduced to reduce the risks of working with CSS in NSW.
These include:
- Strengthening workplace safety through a Silica Worker Register (SWR) which monitors and tracks the health of at-risk workers
- Leading the ban on engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs containing one per cent or greater crystalline silica.
- Establishing the Tunnelling Dust Safety Taskforce to help address silica related health risks for workers in tunnelling projects.
- Establishing a dedicated silica unit within SafeWork NSW which includes a Silica Compliance Team to enforce strengthened regulations, including proactive visits to sites conducting high-risk CSS processing.
- Allocating $5 million in critical funding to the Asbestos and Dust Diseases Research Institute (ADDRI) for action against silicosis to support individuals and their families navigating the health risks associated with exposure to silica dust.
- Introducing a binding WHS code of practice for working with crystalline silica.
Minister for Workplace Health and Safety Sophie Cotsis said:
"The Lung Bus is about bringing essential services directly to the communities that need them most. The Lung Bus tour removes barriers like cost and location, ensuring workers across NSW have access to screenings that could save their life.
"Having the Lung Bus in the Northern Rivers is also a timely reminder for local businesses of their screening obligations for their workforce. Annual screening of your workforce who are exposed to hazardous dusts like Crystalline Respirable Silica is critical to early detection of diseases and support for workers and their health.
"The NSW Government is urging businesses in the Northern Rivers and across NSW to sign up to the Silica Worker Register to ensure the safety of their employees. Every worker deserves to come home safe at the end of the day."
Minister for the North Coast Janelle Saffin said:
"The Lung Bus is an excellent initiative that helps save lives through early detection of dust-related diseases.
"I encourage workers in the Tweed area to visit the Lung Bus when it comes to town. It's an easy way to check for any risks and get peace of mind if you work in an industry where you might be exposed to dust."
