Shock return of pneumoconiosis in Queensland coalmines blindsides industry and sparks government threats to close mines breaching dust level regulations A coalminer diagnosed with the first case of “black lung” in Australia in more than 60 years worked in an underground mine for six years after early signs of the disease were missed in a medical examination.
The central Queensland man,one of four cases this year of pneumoconiosis, a disease previously thought to bear been eradicated from the mining industry, and still works in a coal-washing facility where he is exposed to dust,according to a union official.
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Source: theguardian.com