Occupational Health | Bulletin | No.OH0009 V 1.0 | 05 April 2024

Biannual Health Surveillance Report – March 2024

Overview

Understanding the incidence and types of occupational health harms across the resources industry is important for monitoring the effectiveness of exposure controls to manage risks to workers. This fourth biannual report expands on the trends in mine dust lung disease distribution and work history presented in our previous biannual reports. It provides greater analysis of disease cases where multiple conditions have been diagnosed, and their influence on disease distribution and trends.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an umbrella term for lung conditions that obstruct airflow due to severe inflammation of the airways or destruction of the air sacs that exchange gas with the bloodstream. Emphysema and chronic bronchitis are common forms of the disease. COPD can be caused by occupational exposures to airborne contaminates such as respirable and inhalable/inspirable dusts, fumes, and exhausts.

Ongoing analysis of disease demonstrates a clear increasing trend in COPD cases reported to RSHQ. COPD is now the most common form of occupational lung disease reported across all sectors, underground and surface, and in both current and former workers. This disease is also caused by smoking, however many workers with COPD reported to RSHQ have never smoked. RSHQ has also received significantly more reports of non-work-related COPD.

This highlights the importance of effectively managing risk from all potential sources and forms of exposure to airborne contaminant hazards. Information about hazard control and exposure monitoring is available on RSHQ’s website.

Reporting disease to RSHQ

Site senior executives (SSEs) from all sectors are reminded of their obligation to notify RSHQ whenever they receive a report of a prescribed disease (e.g. silicosis, COPD). SSEs for mineral mines and quarries must now also provide information about the diagnosed worker via the approved form. The obligation to report disease is not dependent on an accepted workers’ compensation claim, and diseases detected by respiratory health surveillance must be reported as soon as practicable.

Psychosocial hazards

As part of our responsibilities for regulating workplace safety and health, RSHQ is working with stakeholders and increasing its activity to ensure operators are effectively managing the risks of psychosocial hazards.  This has included embedding a fit-for-purpose framework for receiving and responding to complaints and reports of sexual harassment and other psychosocial hazards.

Industry is reminded of the obligation to report incidents involving psychosocial hazards to RSHQ. Workers also have the option of reporting complaints relating to psychosocial hazards, including sexual harassment, that can be made anonymous or confidential. Incidents and complaints can be reported by calling RSHQ’s dedicated phone number for these matters - 1300 581 077. Further information is available on RSHQ’s website.

Further work is also being progressed to clarify the obligations to manage psychosocial hazards in Queensland’s resources industry and developing a guideline specifically for the Queensland resources industry on managing the risks of workplace sexual harassment.

The full report is available to download.