“Mine dust lung diseases not just for retired”

Gen-X ignoring the risks of the coal dust crisis in Queensland

According to Resource Safety and Health Queensland, middle-aged miners with less than 20 years in mining are not testing for Black lung and other mine dust lung diseases.

At the end of November last year, the total number of miners with Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis or Black Lung in Queensland had reached 78.

However, the other dust lung diseases continue to show the most significant increases in mining, with the total number of Mine Dust Lung Disease cases increasing on average by more than ten a month - or one new case every three days.

On an annual basis, nearly 300% more cases of non-pneumoconiosis coal disease are being discovered than two years ago in Queensland, although Resources Safety and Health Queensland (RSHQ) says this reflects the new testing regime more than an escalation in the number of people contracting the disease.

This week, RSHQ’s Director of the Health Surveillance Unit Evan Pengelly, said younger miners are at a high risk