“To have a leading health body come forward calling on government to reduce legal dust levels and overhaul the system is a great show of support workers and the action the Dust to Dust campaign has been calling for in recent months,” he said.

With the peak body for lung health joining the CFMEU in calling for lower legal limits for dust in coalmines, the union said this needed to be backed up with proper monitoring and enforcement of dust levels.

“Simply having a lower legal limit doesn’t solve the problem, it must be matched by a rigorous enforcement and compliance framework, managed by an independent agency,” Smyth said.

“Another two cases of Black Lung disease have been reported just this week, proving again companies can’t be trusted to report dust levels themselves.”

But the union says that other stakeholders have been less forthcoming.

“The CFMEU hopes that the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists adopts a similar position in the lead up to the release of the Senate Inquiry report and Queensland Government reviews, but we haven’t heard a peep from them,” Smyth said.

Smyth also noted that a national framework, while good in theory, would have to bring all states up to the highest standard.

“A consistent national standard must be world’s best practice.”

“The former Federal Labor Government tried to introduce a National Mine Safety Framework, but had to shelve the plans after push back from industry and state government, and three years of work was canned.

“This framework would have gone some way to ensuring a better system of monitoring and enforcement of dust levels, but opposition kept it from seeing the light of day.”