Recognition and reduction of occupational diseases is the key issue facing Workplace Health and Safety Queensland

What needs to be done?

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland will work with all stakeholders, including those who conduct a business or undertaking, industry organisations, workers and their representatives, as well as other government agencies to improve the recognition and reduction of occupational disease.

We will do this by:

Prioritising our activities and focussing on those who have the obligation to prevent exposures;
Improving data and surveillance of occupational diseases and especially of exposures to hazards;
Increasing awareness and providing education in the recognition of occupational diseases amongst doctors;
Adopting a whole of government approach to the prevention of occupational disease; and
Engaging industry and developing industry specific intervention programs

Specifically we will work with those who create the hazards and those who are exposed to the risks of occupational disease by:

Increasing awareness of occupational disease;
Improving knowledge, education and skills in the recognition and control of hazards;
Providing compliance support and guidance;
Undertaking strategic enforcement and regulatory reform where necessary.

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland has set itself a specific goal for each priority disease. The achievement of these goals over the next three years will contribute to the increased recognition, and ultimately reduction, of occupational diseases in Queensland.

Priority disease	Goal
Noise-induced hearing loss	Improved noise hazard management
Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD)	Improved control of MSD risk factors - see separate Musculoskeletal framework
Cancer	Improved management of carcinogens (substances causing cancer) in the workplace
Contact dermatitis	Improved management of carcinogens (substances causing cancer) in the workplace
Respiratory diseases including asthma	Improved management of workplace asthmagens (substances causing asthma), silicia, other dusts and respiratory hazards in the workplace
Infectious and parasitic diseases	Improved management of biological hazards in the workplace
Mental disorders	Improved management of psychosocial stressors in the workplace - see separate psychosocial initiative
Cardiovascular disease	Incorporation of occupational risk factors for cardiovascular disease into chronic disease and health promotion initiatives
All occupational diseases	Improved recognition and diagnosis of occupational disease

Each goal has performance indicators identified. These broad goals and performance indicators will be given effect through specific projects at branch and regional level. These projects will be implemented through our normal operational planning processes and will be updated regularly. Individual projects have measurable outcomes which must be delivered. The Industry Sector Standing Committees will have involvement in many of these projects.

In addition to reporting on the broad performance indicators such as a reduction in compensable diseases there will be an evaluation of the impact of the strategy on workplaces at the end of the three year period.