A national registry will be established for deadly workplace respiratory diseases as the federal government seeks to tackle the prevalence of silicosis.
If passed, the law will require mandatory reporting of the disease, which affects nearly one-in-four engineered stone workers in the industry before 2018.
But the peak union representing workers wants a ban on engineered stone to eradicate the disease.
Products with high silica levels - commonly used in kitchen and bathroom benches—have been linked to incurable lung disease silicosis and cancer.
Assistant Health Minister Ged Kearney said every case of silicosis was unacceptable.
Introducing the proposal to parliament, she told the story of Joanna, a 34-year-old mother of two who worked at a quarry run by a large multinational company.
During a fit-for-work test after returning from maternity leave, Joanna was diagnosed with silicosis.
“She’s not who many people would first picture when they think of a worker diagnosed with silicosis,” Kearney said.
“She’s a young woman, and she worked largely in a reception role at the front office of the quarry.
“(Joanna) should never have been diagnosed with this disease.”
The proposed National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry will capture information on respiratory diseases believed to have been caused by or exacerbated in the workplace.
Respiratory, sleep, occupational and environmental medicine specialists will be required to notify the registry of every diagnosis of occupationally caused silicosis.
They may also notify the registry of other occupational respiratory diseases with the patient’s consent.
Australian Council of Trade Unions assistant secretary Liam O'Brien told AAP the registry would assist with the early identification and monitoring of people diagnosed with respiratory illnesses, but further reforms were critical.
“We need a ban on engineered stone ... (it) is a fashion product that is killing those who work with it,” he said.
“More than 600,000 workers are exposed to deadly silica dust at work in industries including mining, quarrying, construction and manufacturing.
“This deadly and incurable disease is entirely preventable.”
Deputy opposition leader Sussan Ley said stories of people affected by silicosis were heartbreaking.
“We’re happy to contribute and be part of any initiative that addresses this and helps speed up our response and makes sure that the cases simply stop,” she said.
The registry was a recommendation of the National Dust Disease Task Force, which first met in August 2019 in response to increasing silicosis diagnoses among Australian workers.
Kearney said it was an important step forward to support the early detection of new cases and identify workplaces and industries requiring greater scrutiny.
She said it was part of the government’s commitment to understanding and improving the occupational respiratory health of workers.
The government has committed $2.4 million for the operation of the registry through to 2025/26.
