TSANZ welcomes the Australian Federal government’s announcement today to ban engineered stone nationwide – a major cause of silicosis in Australian workers.
The announcement is a monumental win for public health in Australia, and will be a welcome gift to health professionals, and workers and their families just in time for Christmas.
“The ramifications of this decision cannot be overstated,” explains TSANZ President, Prof Anne Holland, “it will save lives and keep families together.”
“The Thoracic Society would like to thank the tireless efforts of our members for their relentless pursuit to protect workers across Australia who work with silica products,” says Prof Holland.
“They have been calling for this ban for close to 10 years, and now they can finally breathe a sigh of relief.”
“Our members are on the front lines – they are the first point of contact when workers start noticing the worrying signs of respiratory illness, and they are right there guiding their patients as the disease progresses,” shares TSANZ CEO, Vincent So.
“They know exactly how insidious the diseases of silicosis and lung cancer truly are.”
“Our health professionals have seen the massive up-tick in silicosis patients over the years, and they have done research which shows the worrying signs of an asbestos-like health crisis on the horizon.”
“We thank the government for listening to our calls and making the tough decisions. Australian lives will be saved.”
“TSANZ will continue to work alongside the Health Minister and health department on this important piece of work as we move into the implementation of the ban,” Mr So says.
