DistantNews
Support us
🇦🇺 Australia /Health & Science

Secret reports reveal silica dust breaches on major tunnel projects

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Documents & data Outcome reported
  • Secret reports reveal that tunnel workers on major Australian infrastructure projects were exposed to silica dust levels far exceeding workplace standards.
  • Air sampling records from Brisbane's Cross River Rail, NSW tunnel projects, and leaked WorkSafe notices from Melbourne detail these breaches.
  • Efforts to obtain these reports faced significant opposition from government departments and contractors, citing public interest and potential union aggression.

Workers on some of Australia's largest infrastructure projects faced repeated exposure to silica dust at levels significantly above legal limits, according to previously undisclosed reports and data. Air sampling records from Brisbane's Cross River Rail, extensive studies of New South Wales tunnel projects, and leaked WorkSafe notices from Melbourne have brought these dangerous conditions to light.

Occupational hygienist Kate Cole analyzed 375 air sampling results from Brisbane's $19 billion Cross River Rail project, revealing that workers were exposed to silica dust above the standard at least 55 times. One instance recorded exposure levels 11 times the limit. Inhaling silica dust, which is invisible, can lead to incurable diseases like silicosis, lung cancer, kidney disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and is linked to pulmonary fibrosis and autoimmune disorders.

I just thought, you know what, game on, if they want to keep this information secret, it must be for a reason.

— Kate ColeMs. Cole's motivation for pursuing the release of air monitoring reports despite contractor opposition.

The release of these air monitoring reports, initially sought by Ms. Cole under Right to Information laws in August 2023, was met with strong resistance. The Queensland Office of Industrial Relations, along with joint contractors CPB, BAM, Ghella, UGL, and the Cross River Rail Delivery Authority, opposed their disclosure. They argued that releasing the data was not in the public interest and could incite union aggression. Despite an information commissioner ruling in favor of release, the contractors appealed to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal, even seeking costs from Ms. Cole if they were successful.

Ms. Cole, with legal support from Maurice Blackburn, ultimately won the case after a three-year battle. The tribunal ruled in her favor, granting her access to over 1,600 pages of data from 375 air monitoring results across six sites in 2020 and 2021. Jonathan Walsh, a dust disease lawyer representing Ms. Cole, described the contractors' actions as a "shameless and ultimately flawed attempt to suppress very damaging information."

a shameless and ultimately flawed attempt by the contractors to suppress what is very damaging information

— Jonathan WalshDescribing the contractors' efforts to prevent the release of silica dust exposure data.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog