The Australian Workers' Union has welcomed an announcement from NSW Labor to reform workplace safety laws to prevent workers safer from contracting silicosis on site, and has urged the Coalition to follow suit.
The new policy, announced by NSW Labor, will require construction companies engaged in tunnelling to undertake regular air monitoring with the results to be reported to SafeWork NSW. All worksites operating in industries with high exposure to silica dust will have to elect Health and Safety Committees comprising a majority of workers. The policy will also include a comprehensive screening system for all workers exposed to silica dust and $5 million to support research by the Asbestos Diseases Research Institute into silicosis.
The AWU represents workers in tunnelling, quarrying, construction, and other silica dust exposed industries.
"If NSW Labor forms government this year and enacts these laws there will be workers who get to grow old instead of dying of silicosis," said AWU National Secretary Daniel Walton.
"Right now there are hundreds of workers under Sydney grinding through sandstone and exposing themselves to unsafe levels of silica dust. Some will contract silicosis.
"These people are often working in environments so dusty they can't see more than 50 metres in front of them. They're getting covered from head to toe in dust and they walk out with that dust on them which continues to spread.
"We also know it's common for companies to operate for days despite ventilation breaking down. We know sites where water suppression is nonexistent. And we know flimsy or damaged face marks are being regularly offered as PPE.
"So we desperately need better checks and stronger regulation to save lives underground. At the moment the dust monitoring conducted by companies is unnecessarily sporadic and complex.
"Compelling regular air monitoring, and mandating that the results by reported to SafeWork NSW, will make a massive difference.
"I congratulate Chris Minns and NSW Labor for announcing this strong policy and urge the Coalition to follow suit. The lives of NSW tunnelling workers should not rest on an election result."
