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Thirteen Sydney Tunnel Workers Diagnosed with Deadly Silicosis

The cases, tied to unsafe silica dust exposure, have prompted calls for stricter regulation and prosecution of construction firms.

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a group of workers wearing masks inside the tunnelling phase of the m6 road construction
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The Australian Workers' Union has spoken out strongly after workers as young as 32 building a road tunnel in Sydney contracted a deadly lung disease.

Overview

  • Thirteen workers, including a 32-year-old, from Sydney's M6 tunneling project have been diagnosed with silicosis, a fatal lung disease caused by inhaling fine silica dust.
  • The Australian Workers' Union has criticized both the construction firm CPB Contractors and SafeWork NSW for failing to adequately protect workers despite known risks since 2017.
  • SafeWork NSW is investigating CPB Contractors for not reporting 12 of the 13 cases initially, as required by workplace safety laws.
  • The NSW government has pledged 'zero tolerance' for silica exposure breaches and recently established a silica compliance taskforce to address health risks on tunneling projects.
  • Critics argue that regulatory inspections are often ineffective, with prior notice given to contractors, and no prosecutions have been made despite repeated safety violations.