Hundreds of workers on Queensland’s biggest underground road tunnel projects are expected to contract potentially deadly silicosis in their lifetime, a study has found.
The findings from the University of Sydney predict between 200 to 300 workers will develop silicosis in the coming years.
About 20 to 30 of them would also likely contract lung cancer, directly as a result of their work.
That’s out of the more than 2000 workers on the Clem7, Airport Link and Legacy Way tunnels in Brisbane.
Researchers came to the conclusion by looking at archived data about personal protective equipment and ventilation between 2007 and 2013.
They used the data to calculate the health impacts on the workers into the future.
They found issues around the improper fittings of masks or times where no masks would be used by a variety of workers and a lack of ventilation.
Silicosis is an incurable disease caused by inhaling small particles of silica dust and is typically associated with the synthetic stone benchtop industry.
It’s hoped this study will encourage an overhaul of safety regulations in current and future projects here and across the country.
The Australian Workers’ Union has suggested new standards around ventilation systems to prevent workers being exposed in the first place.
New cases of silicosis continue to emerge from other high-risk industries.
