Expanding a national program of respiratory health surveillance for coal miners--update on the implementation of new requirements for coal miner health surveillance in the United States

Details

• Personal Author:
  Beeckman-Wagner, Lu-Ann F. ; Blackley DJ ; Halldin, Cara N. ; Laney AS ; Wolfe, Anita L.
• Description:
  Rationale: The Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program (CWHSP), a congressionally-mandated medical surveillance program for monitoring the health of coal miners, was originally authorized under the 1969 Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act. Since its inception, the CWHSP was limited to chest radiography and an occupational history questionnaire for underground coal miners. On May 1, 2014, the Mine Safety and Health Administration published a final rule revising existing health and safety standards for all U.S. coal miners. In accordance with this regulation, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently expanded the CWHSP. In addition to radiographic surveillance, the Expanded Program provides periodic spirometry and respiratory health assessment questionnaires and extends health surveillance to surface coal miners and contract miners. We will summarize the new requirements, the progress in implementation, and compliance with the Expanded Program. Methods: NIOSH researched and prepared an Interim Final Rule (IFR). For this rule and to guide the Program's expansion, procedures for spirometry facility approval, spirometry interpretation, reporting and notification, as well as standardized survey methods for assessing respiratory health were examined. Results: NIOSH published the IFR in the Federal Register on August 3, 2014. The IFR amends existing NIOSH regulations in order to establish standards for the approval of facilities that conduct spirometry examinations, outlines spirometry interpretation procedures, describes the requirement of a respiratory assessment form, and requires all underground and all surface coal mine operators to submit a medical examination plan for the provision of employee spirometry and radiographic examinations. Following the enactment of the IFR, NIOSH approved 1,565 (584 contractor, 804 surface, and 177 underground) medical examination plans-a 1,547% increase from 2013 (n=95 medical examination plans). As of October 2015, 78% of surface operators and 96% of underground operators have filed the required medical examination plan. A total of 62 new radiology facility applications have been received by NIOSH, with 58 being certified, a 132% increase from 2013 (n=25 facilities approved). The approval of spirometry facilities is scheduled to begin in early 2016. Conclusions: Implementation of the Expanded CWHSP has progressed quickly and efficiently. The inclusion of spirometry, a respiratory assessment questionnaire, and the extension of medical screening to surface miners will allow for improved characterization of the respiratory health of this workforce and should lead to greater opportunities for respiratory disease prevention. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Coal Coal Mining Mining Occupational Health Radiography Respiratory Function Tests Respiratory System Safety Surveys And Questionnaires
• Keywords:
  Chest Radiography Coal Miners Coal Mining Miners Questionnaires Respiratory Function Respiratory Health Spirometry Surface Mining Surveillance Programs Underground Mines Underground Mining

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• ISSN:
  1073-449X
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  California ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 9 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  RHD - Respiratory Health Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  193
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20048472
• Citation:
  Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2016 May; 193(Abstract Issue):A5449
• Email:
  vgx5@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2016
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
• Supplement:
  Abstract Issue
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:b4c37a64a1cd1b7657d2781b7cf853b99a933cb48d00bc0085b7d4b2ae188c0da411aa14b80e658906b670fe349429fd80716c96d97845fd09710ab937c52dd1
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/203221/cdc_203221_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 349.82 KB ]