Spending big on mine safety

THE 2023–24 FEDERAL BUDGET TACKLED ONE OF THE MOST INSIDIOUS THREATS TO

The threat of silicosis is nothing new for the mining industry – it’s an issue that has affected the resources sector for years.

A long-term lung disease caused by inhaling unsafe levels of silica dust, exposure can lead to lung cancer, kidney failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Silicosis is one of the two main types of pneumoconiosis that affect mine workers – the other being coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, also known as black lung.

Modelling from Curtin University predicts that 10,000 Australians will develop lung cancer and up to 103,000 workers will be diagnosed as the result of workplace exposure to silica dust.

Curing these diseases is a long and arduous process, which makes preventing them – through controlling respirable dust exposure – essential.

In an effort to tackle the rising cases of silicosis in Australia, the Federal Government announced additional funding of $10 million in its 2023–24 Budget that will go toward promoting a safer mining industry.

A total of $4.2 million of this will go toward expanding the functions of the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency (ASEA) to include silicosis and silica-related diseases.

The ASEA was created in 2013 to develop the National Strategic Plan for Asbestos Management and Awareness and continues to coordinate, monitor and report on the plan’s implementation. The new function will allow the ASEA to address the rise of silicosis and silicarelated diseases.

As part of the Budget, the Government will also support Safe Work Australia social partners to engage in national awareness and behaviour-change initiatives.

This announcement came on the heels of measures announced earlier this year in collaboration with states and territories, which include exploring the possibility of banning engineered stone products.

But, according to Federal Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Tony Burke, the silicosisrelated focus should not solely be on the commonly reported issue of kitchen benchtops.

“There’s been a big conversation all around Australia that’s been growing for some time about the dangers of silica in the workplace and what that means for silicosis and other lung diseases,” Burke said.

“Silicosis is not only relevant to kitchen benchtops. A huge percentage of the earth’s crust is silica, and some people will say, ‘Oh, well, silica is a natural product. It’s naturally occurring.’ So is asbestos.

“There are products that when they’re in high levels of concentration create unacceptable levels of risk.

“There has been an understandable focus, therefore, on kitchen benchtops even though that’s not the whole story in respect to risk of silica.

“Kitchen benchtops can be in the order of 97–98 per cent silica, and while there are methods that have been used for not dry-cutting – making sure whenever it’s cut, that it’s wet – experience has been that all too often, no matter what rules are in place, we still end up with situations of dry-cutting, we still end with situations of unacceptable risk.

“We have now tasked Safe Work Australia to do the work to scope out what regulations are required for all workplaces where you deal with silica dust and to also scope out specifically with respect to our engineered stone and engineered-stone benchtops, to do the work starting now on what a ban would look like.”

Looking beyond these respiratory issues, the Federal Government is also putting mental health at the forefront of its policy.

“The Government will provide $2 million over two years to support new Commonwealth Work Health and Safety Regulations on managing psychosocial hazards at work,” Burke said.

“Funding will go towards educating the providers who train health and safety representatives to perform their statutory functions in relation to psychosocial hazards.”

Psychosocial hazards include factors that increase the risk of work-related stress and can lead to psychological and physical harm. They could include poor supervisor support, long work hours or exposure to work-related violence.

The Government will also spend $4.4 million to establish the National Construction Industry Forum, set to commence after July 2023.

“(The forum) will provide advice on key challenges facing the building and construction industry, including workplace safety, culture, skills, productivity and gender equality,” Burke said.

For critical minerals, which are crucial component in the race to net-zero, funding has included $57.1 million for the established Critical Minerals International Partnerships Program, and $21.1 million to ensure the ongoing operation of the Critical Minerals Office.

“Critical minerals, including rare earths, are crucial components of low-emissions technologies such as batteries, electric vehicles and solar panels. They will be increasingly important to global efforts to decarbonise and reach Paris commitments,” Federal Minister for Resources Madeleine King said in a statement.

“Australia has vast reserves of critical minerals. Building the sector by generating new downstream industries and diversifying global supply chains will help Australia achieve net zero commitments.”

A total of $2.2 million has been budgeted to track compliance in the critical minerals sector, while $12 million will go toward a review of the environmental management regime for offshore petroleum and greenhouse gas storage activities.

The 2023–24 Budget also allocates $27.3 million to the Fair Work Ombudsman to ensure workers’ rights are protected; $760,000 for a review of modern awards to be conducted by the Fair Work Commission; and $5.6 million in funding over five years for employment services in Broome, in the mining-rich Kimberley area of WA.