You can find a specialist occupational and environmental medicine physician through the Australia and New Zealand Society of Occupational Medicine.

What do occupational and environmental medicine physicians and respiratory medicine physicians do?

• Occupational and environmental medicine physicians are workplace health experts, promoting safe and healthy work. They work with both employers and workers to prevent, diagnose and manage workplace health issues.
• Respiratory medicine physicians are specialists in lung diseases and related conditions.

What can States and Territories do?

• Seek expert guidance and implement localised versions of the National Dust Diseases Taskforce recommendations.
• Ensure workplaces are encouraged to involve specialist occupational and environmental physicians in hazard controls and health surveillance for at risk workers.

What can employers do?

• Refer to Safe Work Australia and local Safe Work website for your State or Territory.
• Make efforts to reduce exposure to all dusts when working with artificial stone and other silica containing materials.
• Implement and record independent assessments of personal workplace respirable crystalline silica dust levels.
• Arrange regular medical assessments for at risk workers as required under the various OHS regulations in each State and Territory.

What can employees and contractors do?

• Employees and contractors concerned about exposure to silica dust should seek specialist medical advice.
• Get expert advice from a specialist occupational and environmental medicine physician or a respiratory physician.