Thirteen Sydney Tunnel Workers Diagnosed with Deadly Silicosis

The cases, tied to unsafe silica dust exposure, have prompted calls for stricter regulation and prosecution of construction firms.

Thirteen workers, including a 32-year-old, from Sydney's M6 tunneling project have been diagnosed with silicosis, a fatal lung disease caused by inhaling fine silica dust.
The Australian Workers' Union has criticized both the construction firm CPB Contractors and SafeWork NSW for failing to adequately protect workers despite known risks since 2017.
SafeWork NSW is investigating CPB Contractors for not reporting 12 of the 13 cases initially, as required by workplace safety laws.
The NSW government has pledged 'zero tolerance' for silica exposure breaches and recently established a silica compliance taskforce to address health risks on tunneling projects.
Critics argue that regulatory inspections are often ineffective, with prior notice given to contractors, and no prosecutions have been made despite repeated safety violations.