National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Coverage of National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in the Nexus archive.
- Black lung cases surging again in Southwest Va., Appalachia; miners blame blocked regulations
Black lung cases among Appalachian coal miners have surged to near 50-year highs due to mixed coal mine dust containing silica, which can cause pneumoconiosis. Advocates are demanding that federal regulations be enforced, citing data from the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine and NIOSH. The problem is aggravated by deeper mining operations that expose workers not only to coal but also to rock/silica dust.
- Black lung rates in Appalachia are high as the 1970s, with thousands of miners sick
New NIOSH data indicates that underground coal miners in central Appalachia are suffering from black lung disease at rates high for nearly 50 years. Researchers found that one in three veteran underground coal miners tested positive, a rate comparable to that recorded in 1978. The findings also suggest that even miners with as few as 15 years of underground work have elevated rates.