Number of ex-miners in Mackay suffering from lung disease disclosed

Statistics provided by Resources Safety and Health Queensland reveal that ten percent of former miners assessed in Mackay have been found to have a lung disease caused by mine dust.

According to RSHQ, since 2019, the HEART5 Mobile Health Unit along with authorised local clinics assessed 312 former employees in Mackay, discovering that 32 had developed a lung disease due to their work in the industry.

HEART5 is set to return to Mackay this week, and ex-mine and quarry workers are invited to register for a free test.

"We're really proud to offer the services available on board HEART5," RSHQ's Health Surveillance Unit Director Evan Pengelly said.

"One in ten people being diagnosed with a disease shows that workers can contract a mine dust lung disease even after they have left the mining industry and highlights just how vital these tests are to Queensland communities.”

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