Dust disease toolkit

Dust - Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it's not there.

Coal and silica dust at the respirable fraction can cause pneumoconiosis (in the case of coal) or silicosis (in the case of crystalline silica). Both are debilitating and often fatal lung diseases.

Take steps to ensure your own personal safety, as well as the safety of your work mates.

• View the dust diseases video

Download the dust diseases posters:

• Poster 1 (PDF, 256.4 KB) featuring a quarry worker
• Poster 2 (PDF, 248.16 KB) featuring the Hon. George Souris
• Poster 3 (PDF, 215.39 KB) featuring Dr Deborah Yates
• Poster 4 (PDF, 164.68 KB) featuring Anthony Margetts

Long term exposure to dust can generate a number of significant health issues from chronic debilitation all the way through to death depending on the duration of exposure and the type of dust that workers are exposed to.

In New South Wales, no worker can be exposed to dust in excess of the exposure standards that are prescribed in legislation. A new respirable crystalline silica workplace exposure standard of 0.05mg/m3 takes effect on 1 July 2020. Mine operators and quarry managers need to be aware of the changes to the exposure standards and take proactive steps to identify how they are going to meet those new standards.

• View the silicosis video
• Download the silicosis posters (PDF, 200.12 KB)

This campaign is designed to educate workers and mine operators of the risks associated with respirable coal dust.

• View the black lung disease video
• Download the black lung disease posters (PDF, 4.61 MB)

• Exposure monitoring video
• Health monitoring video
• Take action to prevent dust disease (15 second video)
• Take action to prevent dust disease (30 second video)

• Airborne contaminants principle hazard management plan - guidance (PDF, 2.36 MB)
• Atmospheric contaminants delivery guide

• Dust safety in the metals and extractives industries (PDF, 2.74 MB)
• Prevention of Pneumoconiosis in NSW
• Protecting against airborne dust exposure in coal mines
• The Joint Coal Board diesel particulate booklet (1999)

• Let's talk about dust (PDF, 1.66 MB)

• To assist operators in identifying appropriate health monitoring providers for occupational lung disease (PDF, 53.16 KB)
• Airborne contaminants (PDF, 122.33 KB)
• Airborne contaminants - metalliferous mines (PDF, 215.2 KB)
• Understanding health monitoring
• AWU silica dust

• TIP consolidated report - Respirable dust in quarry operations (PDF, 1 MB) - November 2019
• TAP consolidated report - airborne contaminants in underground metalliferous mines (PDF, 215.2 KB) - January 2018
• TAP consolidated report - Airborne contaminants - UG Metex (PDF, 215.2 KB) - July 2018
• TAP consolidated report - Airborne contaminants (surface coal) interim report (PDF, 183.37 KB) - August 2018
• Evaluation report: MSAC dust safety awareness campaign
• More reports

• AWU health and safety alert: Is your workplace safe from silica dust?

Global Cut the Dust Conference, Gold Coast, QLD Feb 2020

• NSW case studies (PDF, 521.11 KB) - Dr David Meredith, Head of Health Services, Coal Services
• Origins and overview of the Standing Dust Committee (PDF, 439.03 KB) - Mark Shepherd, Order Compliance and Industry Support Manager, Coal Services; Chairman, NSW Standing Dust Committee
• The cause of the scarring in your lungs may be coal mine dust, and it may be treatable... - Dr Deborah H Yates, Respiratory Physician
• Lung disease from open cut mining, limits of respirators and why primary prevention matters (PDF, 3.35 MB) - Dr Cecile Rose, MD, MPH
• Miners's Health Matters: Scheme reforms for Queensland coal mining - Kerri Melkersson and Fritz Djukic, Department of Natural Respurces, Mines and Energy, QLD
• It's not only smoking that is causing your emphysema, it's the coal dust you inhaled (PDF, 1.75 MB) - Dr Leonard Go and Dr Francis Green, Universities of Illinois, Chicago, USA and Calgary, Canada
• Silicosis: From Gauley Bridge to artificial stone (PDF, 2.03 MB) - Dr Leonard Go, MD, University of Illinois, Chicago School of Public Health
• Simple coal workers' pneumoconiosis: Not so simple (PDF, 1.85 MB) - Dr Leonard Go, MD, University of Illinois, Chicago School of Public Health
• Low dust levels from mine sampling does not replace the need for medical surveillance: The role of health screening and secondary prevention (PDF, 1.8 MB) - Hon. Prof. Robert Cohen, MD, FCCP, University of Queensland, SMI
• Dust management system failures: Lessons from Australia and the USA - Hon. Prof. Robert Cohen, MD, FCCP, University of Queensland, SMI

NSW Resources Regulator's Small mines and quarries health and safety Roadshow 2019

• Dust management and worker monitoring