Proposed WES for Respirable Coal Dust (2019)

AIOH Submission to Safe Work Australia Regarding Proposed WES for Respirable Coal Dust (RCD)

The AIOH stand by their Position Paper on respirable coal dust (RCD), as cited in the Safe Work Australia (SWA) Draft evaluation report for RCD. While the AIOH is not a standards setting body, through its Position Papers they seek to provide relevant information on substances of interest where there is uncertainty about existing Australian workplace exposure standards (WES’s). This is done primarily through a review of the existing published, peer-reviewed scientific literature but may include anecdotal evidence based on the practical experience of certified AIOH members. The Position Papers attempt to recommend a health-based guidance exposure value that can be measured; that is, it is technically feasible to assess workplace exposures against the derived exposure value. It does not consider economic or engineering feasibility. As far as reasonably possible, the AIOH formulates a recommendation on the level of exposure that the typical worker can experience without significant risk of adverse health effects.