Safe Work Australia has recently launched a major occupational lung disease awareness campaign.
Michelle Baxter is the CEO of Safe Work Australia. She said the CLEAN AIR CLEAR LUNGS campaign will help raise awareness about the risk of occupational lung disease.
‘Occupational lung disease continues to be a major work health and safety concern in Australia,’ said Ms Baxter.
‘The Occupational Lung Diseases in Australia 2006-2019 report highlighted a substantial increase in coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, as well as silicosis from working with engineered stone.’
Invisible hazards
Occupational lung diseases are conditions of the respiratory system caused by workplace exposure to hazardous chemicals and dusts.
Safe Work Australia’s national campaign is designed to educate people conducting businesses about how to eliminate and manage the risks of their workers developing an occupational lung disease.
‘Not all hazards in the workplace are visible. Dusts, gases, fumes, or vapours can be invisible to the naked eye but can cause serious lung diseases’, said Ms Baxter.
‘It’s incredibly important to know what hazards exist at your workplace and how to eliminate and manage them.’
The CLEAN AIR CLEAN LUNGS campaign kit is available on the website and has a suite of resources to help identify hazards and eliminate and manage risks of occupational lung disease in the workplace.
The campaign is supported by initiatives across Australia from Safe Work Australia members, including work health and safety regulators.
For more information, check out www.swa.gov.au/clearlungs or contact your Workplace Health and Safety regulator.
