Summary
Commissioned by the Joint Coal Board, this film highlights the danger of coal dust or pneumoconiosis to coal mine workers in Australia, exploring its adverse effects on worker health, while presenting a range of practices to control dust and reduce the threat.
The film opens with retired pneumoconiosis sufferer Fred Hodgson, as he struggles to breathe while watching television at home. We see a tank of air delivered to his door and him breathing through an elaborate breathing apparatus. Aided by a diagram, a doctor explains the disease and its effects. Paul, a working miner, is then seen having his x-ray examined in a doctor’s room, where a discussion ensues about the disease and its affects. This is followed by dust testing underground and a demonstration of the principles of effective dust control, highlighting good ventilation and the use of water spray.
Special Notes/Achievements
This is the fourteenth of fifteen films in the Fitzgerald Collection.
Author: J Bird, 2023