Spike in cases of silicosis

ENGINEERED stone manufacturers could be hit with multi-million dollar compensation claims following the outbreak in Queensland of cases of workers stricken with the life-threatening lung disease silicosis, a Toowoomba lawyer says.

A Qld Government audit of 10 workplaces found 26 people suffering from silicosis, six in the serious category.

State Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace announced the practice of “dry cutting” engineered stone products had been identified as the cause of the instances of silicosis, a progressive and irreversible disease contracted by breathing in tiny particles of silica dust that settle in the lungs.

Creevey Russell Lawyers principal Dan Creevey said South African-based mining companies recently agreed to settle a silicosis class action for about $400 million.

“For a disease that had previously not been seen in such numbers since the 1940s in the western world, the recent explosion in compensation claims may be the start of things to come,” he said.

“The mining companies in South Africa are expecting to pay out even more as the number of claimants continues to grow. This class action result will surely have implications for the mining and manufacturing of gold and stone around the world.”

Creevey Russell’s Chris Rynders said despite Ms Grace’s call for a national response to update regulations around the importation and exposure to engineered stone, more needed to be done.

“The risk of exposure to high levels of silica from engineered stone is present at all levels of this industry, from manufacturing to assembly and installation,” he said.

“The Safe Work Australia workplace exposure standard for respirable crystalline silica is 0.1mg/m3, which is designed to prevent the occurrence of silicosis. However, this spike in cases indicates that further review of policy and legislative frameworks is required.”