Queensland's mining industry is under fire for repeated breaches of lawful silica dust levels amid concerns over a rise in the deadly lung disease silicosis.
More than 70 silica dust breaches have been recorded in Queensland mines in the past 15 months, the ABC reports.
The CFMEU claims the recent death of Tyrone Buckton, who worked in coal mines in the state's north for decades, after being diagnosed from silicosis is one of many examples of the health impacts of silica dust.
State president Stephen Smyth believes the substance may be more dangerous than coal dust, which has caused dozens of cases of black lung disease in recent years, and has urged the industry to act.
Mr Smyth said an issue was mining companies being able to cover their tracks because government regulators warn them before they are be inspected for silica dust.
"The mining companies see the regulator as a joke," he told the ABC.
The Queensland Resources Council said it had accepted recommendations of a Queensland government-commissioned report by Monash University to improve respiratory health and dust monitoring.
Workers who contracted silicosis also have access to a first-class compensation scheme, the council said.
"All coal mines are required to regularly monitor dust levels and report exceedances," spokeswoman Judy Bertram said.
"A single exceedance requires the mine to review its control measures and re-sample to ensure levels are within prescribed limits."
But a lead author of the review, Monash professor Malcolm Sim, said prevention of the disease through dust control should be the priority.
"In an ideal world, if all dust exposures were below the level which is known to cause disease, there wouldn't be a need for medical monitoring," he told AAP.
"But the key thing is the abnormalities should lead to action, which is likely to include reduction in relevant exposure levels."
