A Queensland doctor with extensive experience treating coal miners says the mining industry and government will have to change their ways to actually protect workers from black lung disease.

Known by doctors as coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, black lung is caused by inhaling coal dust for significant lengths of time, resulting in scarred lung tissue.  Miners afflicted with black lung suffer diminished quality of life via shortness of breath and heart problems, and shortened life spans.  This makes it vital to detect it early and ensure that the patient ceases being exposed to coal dust.

After a long absence in Australia, a Monash University report (.pfd link) on black lung commissioned by the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines found that the Coal Mine Workers' Health Scheme which failed to detect at least eleven confirmed cases of the disease.

"I think the whole system has failed coal miners and that there needs to be a complete review of the way underground coal miners' health is monitored," said Dr. Ewen McPhee to the Rockhampton Morning Bulletin.  He's one of the GPs who is authorized to conduct coal board medical assessments and lung function tests used in the diagnosis of black lung, and performed fitness-for-work examinations.

"The x-rays and other things are being sent down to the department for, we presumed, assessment and monitoring, but this wasn't happening," Dr. McPhee said.  "So there's been a high degree of complacency in this whole system with regards to the surveillance for this condition which was thought to be eradicated."

McPhee says the coal mining industry and government need to "to adopt a positive proactive approach in managing" the black lung crisis.  The government will have to "significant" investment to make sure that workers' records are kept for long-term monitoring. 

But reform will have to start within industry making sure that workers are protected in the mines.

"Obviously these people have been exposed to occupationally high levels of coal dust for a long time to get this condition," he said, "The principal failing is people have been exposed."