Fees and payment information

Employers pay for the coal mine worker's health assessment and exit assessment (for eligible retiring workers). This includes referrals, tests and reasonable travel expenses for any further investigations required to complete the health assessment (e.g. CT scans, respiratory physician assessments).

The employer receives only a copy of the health assessment or exit assessment report (section 4 of the completed form). The employer is not responsible for payment of any treatment required as a consequence of the assessment or examination.

Workers have the right to a second health assessment if the first assessment indicates they are unfit for a designated job. Workers are responsible for the cost of any second assessment. This does not apply for exit assessments.

Resources Safety & Health Queensland (RSHQ) has established an Australian-based dual-reading program for chest X-rays.

Lungscreen and other Australian B-readers will complete the dual-read and adjudication process of classifying coal mine worker chest X-rays to the ILO Classification.

Employers are responsible for paying Lungscreen and other Australian B-readers to read X-ray images.

If there are conflicting health assessments, section 48A of the Coal Mining Safety and Health Regulation 2017 may apply; in this case RSHQ pays for the costs of a medical specialist to provide a final decision.

A former worker assessment is paid for by RSHQ, including any additional tests or follow-up investigations of abnormal screening results.