Safe Work Australia has launched a new campaign targeting airborne risks at work. 

Many work processes can release invisible dusts, gases, fumes, vapours, mists and microorganisms into the air.

The Clean Air. Clear Lungs. campaign being run by Safe Work Australia is intended to raise awareness of occupational lung diseases. 

The national campaign seeks to educate persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs), such as employers or small business owners, on how to eliminate or manage the risk of their workers developing an occupational lung disease.

The campaign includes information on how to identify and assess hazards, how to manage and control risks and how to monitor your workplace. Four key industries most at risk of occupational lung diseases are targeted including:

  • Manufacturing workers can be exposed to hazards in the air that are invisible to the naked eye, such as fumes and dust

  • Construction workers can be exposed to hazards like dust from concrete and fumes from welding

  • Engineered stone workers can be exposed to silica dust in all parts of their work process – from preparing and working on the slab, to cleaning up the workplace and disposing of waste

  • Agricultural workers can be exposed to a range of hazards in the air, such as pesticides, chemicals, and fuels

More details are accessible here.