Silica Dust Kills | Sign the Petition |
No excuses,
fix the problem
fix the problem
Sign the petition to support the AWU’s campaign in protecting workers from the deadly silicosis
The AWU needs your help to protect the 600,000 Australians workers who are breathing in silica dust every single day. Silica dust particles are tiny and can be invisible to the eye but when breathed in can cause silicosis, which has been dubbed the new asbestosis.
Workers are exposed to respirable crystalline silica (silica dust) in mines, quarries road and tunnel construction projects, in the manufacture of cement and concrete and excavating.
Our safety standards and their enforcement in Australia are so shameful that even workers in the USA and Mexico have better protection from silica dust.
The AWU is calling for a national regulation setting out minimum benchmarks to protect workers in every affected industry, with tough penalties for employers who fail to comply.
We need a national health screening program to identify and help those at risk and a register for every single diagnosed case of silicosis.
A compensation fund, backed by employers and industry, to help provide financial relief to workers (and their families) diagnosed with silica related disease and who are struggling to return to work and adjusting to life with the devastating impact of their lung disease.