Sydney's bustling road and rail projects have cast a shadow over its workforce, as thousands of employees find themselves at risk from crystalline silica, a deadly dust embedded within the city's sandstone. For at least seven years, these workers have been exposed to hazardous levels of silica dust, which can lead to severe lung diseases such as silicosis, cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The revelation of this exposure, previously kept from public knowledge, has sparked outrage and a call for action.
In response to the growing concerns, the New South Wales (NSW) government has instituted an expert taskforce dedicated to addressing silica-related health risks. This initiative comes on the heels of a parliamentary order that unveiled the extent of the workers' exposure. The decision aligns with Australia's pioneering move to ban fake stone products, marking a significant step in a national effort to combat silicosis.
The taskforce's formation underscores a critical need for stringent monitoring and regulation. Data from the construction of Sydney's Metro City and Southwest projects reveal that one in three air quality tests surpassed legal silica limits. Moreover, the exposure levels in these tunneling projects were far greater than those found in engineered stone kitchen benchtops, which are now prohibited in Australia.
"Back in the day, coal miners used to put a canary down in the coalmine to get an indication about whether or not air was breathable or safe." – Chris Donovan
The situation is further exacerbated by reports indicating that up to 8 percent of workers did not utilize respiratory protection, heightening their vulnerability to the deadly dust. Experts argue that the dangers of silica were well-documented and that companies cannot claim ignorance regarding the issue.
"I don't mean to be graphic about it, but the way in which people lose their lives through these dust diseases is horrific." – Mr Minns
"The impact of dust diseases is horrific." – NSW Premier (Mr Minns)
The health repercussions for those affected could take decades to fully manifest. Similar to mesothelioma and asbestosis, diseases linked to silica exposure may only become apparent long after initial contact with the dust.
"History tells us that airways disease can take a long time to appear, if you think about mesothelioma and asbestosis it was 30, 40 years after exposure." – Mark Brooke
Medical professionals emphasize that prevention should be prioritized at the source, advocating for improved ventilation systems, wetting methods, and adequate respiratory protection to mitigate exposure.
"The only way of preventing it, is preventing it at the source which means adequate ventilation, wetting methods, adequate respiratory protection and so on so it really comes down to an engineering challenge." – Dr Allen
The uncovering of these hazardous conditions has led to increased scrutiny over the role of regulatory bodies. Calls for unannounced inspections by SafeWork inspectors aim to uncover the full scope of dust exposure and enforce compliance among companies.
"We really need SafeWork inspectors and the regulator to go down without notice so they can actually get to the bottom of how bad this dust exposure is." – Chris Donovan
The delay in addressing these issues has prompted criticism from various quarters. Observers argue that it took far too long for recommendations from dust disease taskforces to be implemented, placing workers at unnecessary risk.
"The fact that we are really late in coming to look at active monitoring of dust on site, and that it took six years to see the recommendations of the dust diseases taskforce actually being implemented, I think is a real indictment on companies that should be keeping their workers safe." – Chris Donovan
As awareness of silica-related health risks grows, there is an urgent call for immediate action. The union warns of a potential surge in silicosis cases if measures are not implemented promptly.
"What the union is afraid of is that if government and agencies do not act, there is going to be tsunami of silicosis cases if this is not dealt with as soon as possible." – Chris Donovan
Health experts have expressed their dismay at the prolonged exposure faced by workers and draw parallels between this crisis and past asbestos-related health tragedies.
"I'm appalled that people were being exposed, it should not happen. But we also knew about asbestos a hundred years ago and look what happened there." – Dr Allen
"The damage is done by the time they present clinically." – Dr Allen
