Dust Diseases Care

What is a dust disease?

Dust diseases are caused by inhaling dust on construction and industrial sites. While the majority of dust diseases cases are caused by asbestos inhalation, it’s not the only situation that can cause a dust-related disease to develop. Some other materials that can cause dust diseases are:

• Crystalline silica
• Hard metals, such as tungsten and cobalt
• Aluminium, beryllium
• Bagasse, cotton and mouldy hay
• Straw or grain

Dust can be inhaled on a work site when it is disturbed or created. While the risk of developing a dust-related disease is low, symptoms don’t usually to appear for many years. You should take workplace safety precautions in order to minimise any risk, such as dust suppression measures and personal protective equipment. Please visit the SafeWork NSW website for more information on workplace safety and dust.

What is icare?

icare dust diseases care NSW is a scheme that provides financial compensation and health care support to people affected by work-related dust diseases. They also provide funding for research into the causes, diagnosis and treatments.

Learn more about icare here

What does icare cover?

The dust diseases managed by icare dust diseases care under the Scheme include the following:

• Aluminosis
• Asbestosis
• Asbestos induced carcinoma
• Asbestos-related pleural diseases (ARPDs)
• Bagassosis
• Berylliosis
• Byssinosis

• Coal dust pneumoconiosis
• Farmers’ lung
• Hard metal pneumoconiosis
• Mesothelioma
• Silicosis
• Silico-tuberculosis
• Talcosis

More than 95% of the dust diseases managed by icare dust diseases care are asbestos-related.

You can find out more about icare here.