PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Queensland Resources Council (QRC) has welcomed government action after three cases of ‘Black Lung’ were detected at coal mines in the state, during the last three years.

Worker’s union the CFMEU has warned that the three cases could be the tip of the iceberg for a disease that had been wiped out in Australia nearly half a century ago.

Black Lung, or Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis, is caused by a build-up of coal dust in the lungs owing to inadequate ventilation and health standards in coal mines.

The CFMEU said on Tuesday that while a regulatory system was set up to monitor and detect a range of health issues affecting coal mine workers, which included providing regular X-rays, the union believed the system had not been maintained and had been compromised.

“It’s appalling that companies and regulatory bodies have let health standards deteriorate, putting the lives of workers at serious risk,” said CFMEU Queensland district president Stephen Smyth.

“This is a disease that takes hold gradually and we’re extremely concerned that recent diagnoses are just the tip of the iceberg. Of great concern is that Australian health and regulatory frameworks are no longer equipped to deal with the disease.”

Smyth pointed to a report from the Queensland government’s Health Improvement and Awareness Committee, which showed that local authorities did not have the required qualifications to read and interpret X-rays of coal workers, leading to a backlog of 100 000 X-rays to be reviewed.

He added that the men recently diagnosed had to make use of specialists from the US as local expertise did not exist anymore.

“There is no way to judge the size of the problem affecting coal mine workers in Queensland, or for how long it has been an issue because the regulatory system has broken down and the medical specialists don’t exist in Australia to deal with it.

“There is a real possibility that many more current and ex-mineworkers are living and working in Queensland with the disease undiagnosed.”

Queensland Natural Resources and Mines Minister Anthony Lynham has promised urgent action, and has commissioned a study through Monash University.

"I'm here to look after the health and safety of our coal workers here in Queensland,” Lynham told current affairs programme 7:30.

"I'll be doing everything possible to make sure that these X-rays are appropriately read.

"If it means that we have to have an expert team of readers sent in to look at coal workers' pneumoconiosis, then that's what will happen."

The CFMEU has welcomed Lynham’s decision to conduct a review and said that it was seeking urgent action from government and industry to address this issue.

QRC CEO Michael Roche also expressed approval at the Minister’s decision to bring in experts from Monash University to review the system of health screening and to establish if improvements were required.

“I understand the genuine health concerns of mineworkers who obviously need to have confidence in the compliance with levels of coal dust being emitted in mines and in screening and medical checks.

“It’s important to know if there are any problems with the medical interpretation of x-rays or if there is noncompliance in mines and any doubts or problems need to be addressed or removed quickly and decisively,” Roche said.

“Queensland has a rigorous and transparent system of compliance with coal dust monitoring levels. But if there is non-compliance around dust levels at our mines then it’s appropriate that the Mines Inspectorate act and enforce the regulations. It’s just as important that mines themselves act as quickly as possible to lift their compliance to the standards that have been set.”