Our Regional Medical Officer, Dr David Cleveland, recently presented at the Rural Medicine Australia (RMA) 2022 conference in Canberra. Dr Cleveland presented Expert medical guidelines for dust diseases; a presentation detailing the recent guidelines for “Returning Workers with Mine Dust Lung Diseases to the Workplace”, as Dr Cleveland was part of the expert medical panel that were consulted for the development of these guidelines.

Why are these guidelines important?

These guidelines have been put in place to ensure that workers with mine dust lung diseases (MDLD), such as the recent re-identified coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP), can safely return to work without further aggravating their conditions. These guidelines are important as returning to work with a MDLD is inherently different to traditional return to work arrangements. Workers with a MDLD are not only required to participate in enhanced health and safety measures at their workplace, but also require ongoing and periodic health monitoring.

How will the guidelines be implemented at Sonic HealthPlus?

Part of the guidelines involved enhanced medical surveillance. Annual health monitoring is recommended for any mine worker that has been diagnosed with MDLD. This health monitoring requires that the worker has an annual respiratory review carried out by a respiratory physician with expertise in occupational lung disease. The review includes:

• Complete lung function testing with spirometry, lung volumes and single breath diffusion capacity of lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO)
• Review of the quarterly dust monitoring data and current work tasks
• Chest imaging to include low-dose High Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) read by a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) certified B-reader Radiologist with special training and/or relevant experience in thoracic radiology utilising the International Classification of HRCT for Occupational and Environmental Respiratory Diseases (ICOERD) system
• Review by, or discussion with an occupational physician to provide guidance on return to work and workplace actions, for example, referencing data monitoring.

MDLDs are often diagnosed through the Coal Mine Workers’ Health Scheme through Coal Board Medicals, which we are accredited to perform at Sonic HealthPlus locations. Sonic HealthPlus have a dedicated team of occupational physicians across the company that are able to assist in the health monitoring process of workers with MDLDs. They are aptly supported by our knowledgeable Health Surveillance team who are able to assist in the booking process for these new requirements.

Contact your client partner, or send an enquiry here to learn more about what you need to do to ensure your workforce remains safe and healthy in the coal industry.