Abstract
Black lung and other occupational lung diseases continue to occur in Australia. To protect workers’ respiratory health, ongoing vigilance is required to control hazardous occupational exposures.
Article Extract
- Black lung disease (coal workers’ pneumoconiosis) has recently been identified in coal miners in Queensland dispelling the belief that this disease had been eradicated.
- Coal mine dust is a complex mixture that can cause pneumoconiosis, emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
- Coal miners undergo health monitoring with the aim of detecting early warning signs of lung disease. The success of health surveillance requires all aspects of monitoring to be performed at a high standard.
- In developing countries, black lung disease continues to be a major public health problem.
- Occupational lung diseases continue to occur in Australia and should not be considered as diseases simply of historical interest.
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