Inquiry into workplace exposure to toxic dust
Terms of Reference
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On 22 June 2005 the Senate referred the following matters to the Senate Community Affairs References Committee for inquiry and report by 1 December 2005.
The Senate has extended the reporting date to 31 May 2006.
- the health impacts of workplace exposure to toxic dust including exposure to silica in sandblasting and other occupations;
- the adequacy and timeliness of regulation governing workplace exposure, safety precautions and the effectiveness of techniques used to assess airborne dust concentrations and toxicity;
- the extent to which employers and employees are informed of the risk of workplace dust inhalation;
- the availability of accurate diagnoses and medical services for those affected and the financial and social burden of such conditions;
- the availability of accurate records on the nature and extent of illness, disability and death, diagnosis, morbidity and treatment;
- access to compensation, limitations in seeking legal redress and alternative models of financial support for affected individuals and their families; and
- the potential of emerging technologies, including nanoparticles, to result in workplace related harm.
Written submissions are invited and should be addressed to:
The Secretary
Senate Community Affairs References Committee
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
The Committee is continuing to receive submission during the
inquiry.
The Committee prefers to receive submissions electronically as an attached document - email: community.affairs.sen@aph.gov.au
Submissions become Committee documents and are made public only after a decision by the Committee. Publication of submissions includes loading them onto the internet and their being available to other interested parties including the media. Persons making submissions must not release them without the approval of the Committee. Submissions are covered by parliamentary privilege but the unauthorised release of them is not protected.
Following consideration of submissions, the Committee will hold public hearings. The Committee will consider all submissions and may invite individuals and organisations to give evidence at the public hearings.
Information relating to Senate Committee inquiries, including notes to assist in the preparation of submissions for a Committee, can be located on the internet at https://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/wit_sub/index.htm
For further details contact the Committee Secretary, Phone : (02) 6277 3515, Fax: (02) 6277 5829.
E-mail: community.affairs.sen@aph.gov.au
For further information, contact:
Committee Secretary
Senate Standing Committees on Community Affairs
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Australia