Silicosis

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (15:24): My question is to the Treasurer regarding silicosis. Can you please inform the chamber what the government is doing about concerns that have been raised about silicosis and the impact it is having on workers in the engineered stone industry?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (15:24): I thank the honourable member for his question. There has been, indeed, over a number of months now, particularly in other states, primarily in Queensland but more recently in New South Wales and Victoria, a considerable amount of publicity about the important issue of silicosis.

As I am sure you would know, silicosis is an incurable and, sadly, often fatal lung disease, and in recent years it has become an issue, not only in South Australia but nationally, in the engineered stone industry. For all members and families who have engineered stone products in their kitchens and bathroom vanities, some of those products, so I am told, contain as much as 93 per cent crystalline silica, and the workers who work in the industrial plants that manufacture it, and also to a degree those who work with it in installing, on a regular basis, engineered stone products in our homes, over a period of time place themselves at risk.

When these issues became more apparent publicly, as I said, as a result of mainly publicity coming out of Queensland, having made inquiries I realised that there were a significant number of government agencies that were actually involved in South Australia, with no single agency taking a leadership role in relation to the issue. SafeWork SA was involved; ReturnToWorkSA was obviously involved; MAQOHSC, otherwise known as the Mining and Quarrying Occupational Health and Safety Committee, and SA Health, of course, were principal agencies that were involved, at least in some part, in relation to this particular issue.

Some time in around about the third quarter—I think it was about September or October last year—I convened a meeting of representatives of all of those agencies, with the agreement of their respective ministers. Since then, I have had a series of three meetings with that group, who report back to me, and principally now to SafeWork SA, in relation to work that we are doing, and need to continue to do, in terms of worker safety in this particular area.

SafeWork SA has been conducting audits of worksites from, I think, around about February of this year. Over a number of months they have conducted a number of workshops in terms of trying to encourage safe work practices for industry. SafeWork SA had commissioned last year, I think it was, a study by the University of Adelaide, I think it was, and some others in relation to research results and best practice in this particular area.

I think it was in January of this year that I authorised the expenditure of $400,000 to be overseen by MAQOHSC for comprehensive health checks of workers within the industry. In the most recent report, MAQOHSC reported back to me that that program has now commenced in terms of health audits, which comprise quite expensive but comprehensive and necessary X-rays of affected workers, or potentially affected workers, as part of their response.

There is also work being undertaken at the national level. Safe Work Australia, I am told, I think it was in February of this year, published a draft workplace exposure standards, a new standard. Public comment is currently being sought, and comments on that new standard close at the end of this month, on 30 April 2019. I am advised that the draft is recommending reducing the current exposure limit for respirable crystalline silica by one-fifth of the current limit. I am also advised that my colleague the Minister for Health and his other colleagues at a recent meeting of ministers for health raised the issue of the creation of a national register for dust diseases, and some further work has been done in relation to that particular issue at a national level.

If I can conclude, there's a lot more I could say but time doesn't permit. There is much more that we, as a government representing various government departments and agencies, need to do in this important area in terms of work health and safety, and worker safety, in particular. I acknowledge the work that these various agencies and bodies are doing. As I said, I think for the first time they are now working together as a collective and there's a coordinated and collective response from government departments and agencies. But there is much more work that will need to be done at the national level as well, both through ministers for health and also with my hat on in relation to ministers responsible for work health and safety legislation as well.