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Miner says Vale unsure what to do with him after black lung diagnosis

Wednesday, 23 Nov 2016 04:04:27 | Jonathan Hair

The black lung inquiry got underway in one of Queensland's biggest mining towns, Moranbah, on November 22, 2016. (ABC News: Jonathan Hair)

A mining industry veteran has told a Queensland inquiry investigating the re-emergence of the potentially deadly black lung disease the fear of not being able to breathe, and of losing his job, causes him great stress.

The coal workers' pneumoconiosis parliamentary select committee late yesterday heard evidence from workers in one of Queensland's biggest mining towns, Moranbah, west of Mackay.

Black lung is a disease caused by breathing in coal dust, and was thought to have been eradicated in Queensland until late last year.

Evidence was heard from four workers from Carborough Downs underground coal mine, owned by mining company Vale.

One of them, Kevin McPhail, said he was diagnosed with the condition in May.

"First thing you think about is you're not going to be able to breathe," the mining industry veteran told the ABC.

"And your job, of course, that's the second thing you think about. Straight away you think about your job, and getting sacked and God knows what not."

The 56-year-old said he had been moved from underground work to surface duties, but he did not think Vale knew what to do with him.

"Very stressful, very stressful, it's not good. It's not all beer and skittles," he said.

Black lung never talked about: miner

Inquiry into black lung gets underway Video: Inquiry into black lung gets underway (7.30)

Another miner, Nathan Leotta, told the inquiry that until recently the only time black lung was mentioned was when quoting the comedy film Zoolander, which makes a joke about the condition.

"Apart from the movie Zoolander, when he comes from underground working with his family members, black lung was never mentioned," Mr Leotta said.

"In 2009 and 2008, they were telling us at inductions to go underground … and that it was eradicated because they haven't had any cases in 15, 20 years.

"We thought that dust that we were exposed to was normal, because nobody said that it wasn't, and that was in the boom time."

BHP to give evidence at inquiry

The committee also heard evidence that dusty environments on-site were cleaned in the lead-up to visits from safety inspectors.

"Let's say that the inspectors were coming on a Wednesday, it's our last shift on a Tuesday night, we'd down tools for four hours and hose down," Mr Leotta said.

"We've had to pull up, no more sheer, no more coal to the surface, the requirement is get on the hoser and hose that s*** down.

"It's like when you're going to sell a car … you haven't washed it all week, but someone's rung up and said they're going to have a look.

"What do you do? You go out and clean it up don't you."

Australia's largest coal mining company BHP Billiton is due to give evidence to the hearing early this morning.

Answering questions will be the general manager of the Broadmeadow coal mine, Matt Cooper, and Bobbie Foot from the company's health, safety and environment department.

Last month the first open cut coal miner in Queensland was diagnosed with black lung after working for decades at BHP's Goonyella Riverside coal mine.

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