NSW state insurer icare says workers exposed to dangerous materials should take part in regular lung screening, as National Asbestos Awareness Week starts today.

icare’s Dust Disease Centre was established to provide financial support and care for workers who develop disease due to exposure at work.

It also provides a subsidised screening service to help employers meet their health and safety obligations, plus free screening for people who have been exposed to hazardous dust through work but have retired or changed roles. 

Radiographer Vanessa Stacey says regular screening can have a huge impact.

“Hazardous dusts include asbestos and silica,” she said. “Once inhaled, they become trapped in the lungs and can lead to cancers like mesothelioma and other serious diseases like silicosis. 

“Regular screening means we get early detection, we can look at changes over time, and this is really important so we can make your life better into the future.”

While dust diseases are not curable, early detection leads to better outcomes.

Click here for more information.