Mobile lung checks for regional Queensland miners

The Queensland Government andHeart of Australia have developed a mobile health unit to help with the early detection of mine dust lung diseases in regional Queensland.

Resources Minister Scott Stewart said the state-of-the-art Queensland-built HEART 5 vehicle “will bring high-quality respiratory health screenings to mine and quarry workers in regional and remote parts of the state.”

“This means workers won’t have to travel as far to access highly specialised services, ensuring earlier detection and intervention in cases of mine dust lung diseases like black lung and silicosis,” Mr Stewart said.

HEART 5 comes with an x-ray machine and a world-first battery-powered high-resolution computerised tomography (CT) scanner.

“The robust vehicle was constructed in Narangba to the highest standards, in order to withstand the wear and tear of travelling through rural Queensland,” Mr Stewart said.

“I’d like to thank Heart of Australia and Resources Safety and Health Queensland (RSHQ), who have collaborated magnificently to deliver HEART 5.”

Read the full story on the Queensland Government website.