Limits for 'silent killer' chemical exposure on hold despite advice

A majority of Australian state and territory governments have placed stricter workplace exposure limits for nine hazardous chemicals on hold. This decision comes despite a Safe Work Australia report indicating that the health and economic benefits of these stricter limits would outweigh the costs.

The chemicals in question include known carcinogens such as respirable crystalline silica (RCS), benzene, and formaldehyde. Workers in industries like demolition, construction, and tunnelling, as well as nurses and medical technicians, are particularly at risk from exposure. In March, six prominent health organizations, including the Thoracic Society and Cancer Council, issued a joint statement calling for enhanced protections against these substances, which they described as a "silent killer."

For the proposed changes to become law, they required the support of at least two-thirds of state and territory governments. However, most jurisdictions have requested further work from Safe Work Australia, the national body responsible for work health and safety, before proceeding. This delay has caused anguish for workers like Hamish Studholme, who developed silicosis after decades in the tunnelling industry.

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It was incredibly hard mentally. No matter how strong you are, it's going to take a toll on you. The fact that you might get worse and you've got no real money coming in … you just don't know.

Studholme, now 59, has struggled financially and emotionally since his diagnosis with silicosis, an incurable lung disease caused by inhaling fine silica particles. He noted that while workplace safety has improved, more needs to be done to protect workers from dangerous dust. "These companies are looking at production and putting it in front of the lives of workers," he stated, questioning the cost-benefit analysis when human lives are at stake.

Safe Work Australia had recommended halving the workplace exposure limit for respirable crystalline silica from 0.05 milligrams per cubic meter to 0.025 milligrams per cubic meter. Business and industry groups have opposed these reductions, arguing that the technology to accurately measure exposure at the proposed levels is not yet widely available, making implementation impractical. A Regulatory Impact Statement highlighted that the cost to businesses for these changes would be $31 billion.

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These companies are looking at production and putting it in front of the lives of workers. You can't put a cost on people's lives, and if those people making those decisions had relatives suffering from silicosis, they would think completely differently.