Could you be at risk?

Have you ever worked with dangerous dusts?

If you have worked in one of the hazardous dust industries, such as mining, construction, glass manufacturing, foundry work, and more recently in the kitchen benchtop industry, then you could be at risk of developing occupational lung disease. You owe it to yourself to speak to your GP so you can arrange to have the necessarily health checks.

Are you at risk?

If you have worked in at ‘at-risk’ industry, you should give your GP a full run down of your work history. Your doctor will ask you questions such as:

Have you worked on-site in a coal mine, above or below ground?
Have you worked in construction or road work?
Have you worked in manufacturing with clay, concrete, glass or metal?
Have you undertaken any work that involves cutting, grinding, polishing or otherwise shaping the material used to make stone benchtops?

If ‘yes’, how long have you undertaken such work?

What measures were in place to control the dust produced from these activities?
Did you wear a mask when you were working with these materials?
The doctor will also ask you about your smoking and respiratory symptom history.

Depending on your answers to these questions, your doctor may refer you for tests, which could include chest X-ray, breathing tests, high resolution CT scan and bronchoscopy.

Could you be at risk?

Have you ever worked with dangerous dusts?

Are you at risk?

Websites for further information on occupation lung disease:

Associations

State Health and Safety Organisations

Articles