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NIOSH Update:35th Anniversary of NIOSH Research Under Coal Mine Act Highlights Accomplishments, Ongoing Partnerships |
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Contact: Fred Blosser (202) 401-3749 John Howard, M.D., Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), today hailed the 35 th anniversary of the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969. The legislation established NIOSH's current program of research and technical assistance to prevent work-related illnesses, injuries, and deaths in coal mining. The coal mine act was signed by President Richard M. Nixon and enacted on Dec. 30, 1969. The NIOSH research program was part of a historic federal mission created under the law to prevent catastrophic coal mine fires and explosions, coal workers' pneumoconiosis (also known as black lung disease), and other hazards to coal miners. "Coal mining is not simply an industry, it is also a proud way of life for miners and mine operators, often spanning generations of families," Dr. Howard said. "With great respect for this tradition, NIOSH has worked closely with diverse partners to design and apply new safety and health interventions. Many standard safety features in today's mines resulted from such collaborations. While we are gratified that injuries, illnesses, and fatalities among coal miners have declined over the past three decades, more remains to be done. This 35 th anniversary of our program marks an opportunity to re-dedicate ourselves to this important mission." NIOSH's mining safety and health research is located at laboratories in Morgantown, W.Va., Pittsburgh, Pa., and Spokane, Wash. Keeping pace with technological and demographic changes in 21 st Century coal mining, NIOSH's recent projects with diverse partners include:
Additional information is available from 1-800-35-NIOSH and
at www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/surveillance/ords/CoalMineHealthSafetyAct35Years.html A key factor in this success has been the research conducted in laboratories in Pittsburgh , Pa. , and Spokane , Wash. , in a program originally administered by the U.S. Bureau of Mines and then transferred to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in 1997. Here are examples of key research accomplishments since 1969, and highlights of current research that keeps pace with changing trends in the industry. Dust control A vital health concern in underground coal mining has been the exposure to respirable coal and silica dust. NIOSH research has led to a number of developments for controlling generated dust. These include:
Strata control Supporting the rock strata (or roof) that overlays openings in underground
coal mines is crucial to the safety of workers. Roof bolting, a roof
support technology developed by the NIOSH program when it was part
of the U.S. Bureau of Mines, has proven itself effective in preventing
roof fall fatalities. Advancements since 1969 that were stimulated
by this research include: Control of methane gas The accumulation of methane gas in underground mines can lead to devastating mine explosions. Research by the Bureau of Mines, now NIOSH, introduced mine operators to techniques which allowed them to determine the gassiness of coal beds. Through the use of computer models and analytical methods, NIOSH researchers can predict methane control needs. NIOSH developed new methods for the control of methane including surface drainage of coal beds through vertical boreholes, and underground drainage of gas through long horizontal holes underground. Mine emergency response Prior to 1969, underground coal miners carried self-rescue breathing devices designed to protect miners against deadly carbon monoxide exposure for about one-half hour in the event of a mine fire or explosion. Following the passage of the 1969 Act, NIOSH research led to the development of a one hour oxygen supply , providing the miner with additional time to escape following a mine fire or explosion. Mine fires and explosions After 1969, new research provided insight on the ways in which gases, fluids, and dusts burn in mines. Research efforts also focused on the relative merits of using flame inhibitors and the effectiveness of quenching agents and high-expansion foam. Large-scale research in a world-class experimental mine at the NIOSH facility in Pennsylvania produced important baseline information on the origin, growth, and suppression of fires and explosions. Among other achievements, the program:
Industrial-type hazards NIOSH conducts research on industrial-type hazards in coal mining
(including hazards related to heavy equipment, electrical systems,
explosives, and physical labor), using a double approach 1) human aspects,
to develop a heightened awareness of safety problems such as recognition
of unstable ground and training dealing with perceived hazards, 2)
to provide a better working environment through:
Explosives NIOSH explosives research has focused on identifying factors that influence the safety and performance of explosives, and other blasting agents, as well as developing innovative explosives and evaluating products that are developed as candidates for use as permissible explosives. A NIOSH - developed sheathed rock-breaker explosive charge is commercially available for unconfined underground coal mine blasting. The rock-breaker has become the suitable alternative to the hazardous practice of mudcapping, whereby an explosive was placed on top of a rock and covered with mud or earth. Noise exposure A major problem in the mining industry is hearing loss. NIOSH research
has focused on the development of noise controls for mining equipment.
New communication and training tools are being developed to inform
miners of ways to protect their hearing. 35 YEARS AND COUNTING: NIOSH
SURVEILLANCE OF BLACK LUNG DISEASE Among other initiatives, the 1969 legislation created the Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program, a program administered by NIOSH to monitor the prevalence of coal workers' pneumoconiosis, also known as black lung disease. Working with its partners, NIOSH has made great strides in research to understand, measure the incidence of, and prevent black lung. These efforts are led by NIOSH's facility in Morgantown , W.Va. The Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program has been instrumental in carrying out research and procedures for:
Three components of the Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program are the Coal Workers' X-Ray Surveillance Program, the B-Reader Certification Program, and the National Coal Workers' Autopsy Study. Coal-Workers' X-Ray Surveillance Program Under the health surveillance program established by the 1969 Act, miners are offered the opportunity of having chest X-rays taken at no charge to them. Pursuant to the Act, a miner has the option of transferring to a less dusty job if the X-ray shows evidence of black lung disease. NIOSH has the responsibility of assuring that hospitals and clinics participating in the X-ray program provide accurate and reliable X-rays, by evaluating their X-ray machines. NIOSH also uses these findings of the prevalence of black lung cases to identify patterns or trends in the disease. This information can provide a basis for strategies to prevent further cases from occurring. Currently, 154 facilities with 226 X-ray machines are approved by NIOSH. Overall, the number of chest X-rays showing evidence of black lung disease has declined from 13,259 X-rays (out of a population of 152,066 underground coal miners) during 1970-1974 to 604 X-rays (out of a population of 31,826 underground coal miners) in 2000 to 2004 to date. NIOSH findings indicate a continuing decline in black lung prevalence for underground miners with greater than 20 years of mining work, but no clear trend for those with less than 20 years of mining work. Despite progress in reducing the prevalence of the disease since 1969, black lung continues to occur in coal mining. This highlights the importance of continued NIOSH research on black lung surveillance and prevention. B-Reader Program The 1969 legislation also established a program for certifying doctors and radiologists to evaluate and classify chest X-rays for medical screening, health surveillance, research, and compensation. Those specialists are called B-Readers. NIOSH has the responsibility for certifying B-Readers by determining whether they are proficient in classifying chest X-rays for black lung disease. Upon certification, a B-Reader must recertify through NIOSH every four years. Currently, 494 B-Readers are certified. For additional information about the B-Reader Program, visit www.cdc.gov/niosh/pamphlet.html . NIOSH continues to evaluate the B-reader program to assure that it remains current with modern technologies and current needs, and that meaningful information about the program is available to stakeholders and the general public. National Coal Workers' Autopsy Study The National Coal Workers' Autopsy Study provides families of deceased underground coal miners with the opportunity to request an autopsy of the deceased, at no charge to the family. The autopsy may determine whether the lungs of the deceased show pathologic evidence of black lung disease. The results may help support a claim by the miner's survivors for black lung compensation benefits. The results also are important for NIOSH research to prevent further cases of black lung. For example:
For more information regarding the National Coal Workers' Autopsy Study, refer to the web site www.cdc.gov/niosh/1995-120pd.html . Current Initiatives in the Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program The key to the success of the coal workers surveillance program is continuous quality assurance. NIOSH is taking several steps with partners to make sure that the program keeps pace with current needs in the coal mining industry, that miners and mine operators are aware of services and duties under the program, and that the technical aspects of the program remain up-to-date:
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