Medical examinations for people exposed to hazardous dust
Our testing service provides complex respiratory screening examinations for people who have been exposed to hazardous dust.
Dust diseases include:
- asbestosis
- asbestos induced carcinoma of the lung
- Asbestos Related Pleural Disease (ARPD)
- mesothelioma
- silicosis
- silica induced carcinoma of the lung.
What is a dust disease?
Dust diseases are a group of lung illnesses caused by inhaling certain products when they are in powder or dust form.
Dust diseases are most often contracted in work environments where workers are exposed to or handle products and materials containing harmful dusts such as asbestos.
Dust exposed workplaces commonly include:
- Home building sites
- Commercial construction sites
- Import and waterside precincts
- Logistics and trucking industries
- Excavations and tunnel works
- Workshops where Caesar stone is cut.
- Manufacturing sites
Dusts that can cause diseases when inhaled:
- Asbestos
- Crystalline silica
- Hard metals, for example tungsten, cobalt
- Aluminium, beryllium
- Bagasse, cotton and mouldy hay
- Straw or grain.
Workplace dust can be inhaled when:
- Dust is created - usually by cutting, sanding, drilling or grinding
- When it's disturbed, for example during building renovations or during earthworks.
- The risk of developing a dust disease is low. The risk of disease may increase with increased exposure to dust.
Common disease symptoms:
- Coughing
- Shortness of breath or abnormal breathing
- Chest pain
- Mucus in the airways (sputum production)
Dust diseases do not generally appear until many years after exposure. They can cause benign thickening or scarring of lung tissue. Asbestos dust can also cause lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma.
Please contact us if you have any queries regarding Occupational Health testing.
