Become a NIOSH-Certified B Reader

Details

• Journal Article:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  What is a B Reader? A B Reader is a physician certified by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) as demonstrating proficiency in classifying radiographs of the pneumoconioses. Why is becoming a B Reader important? 1. B Readers participate in medical surveillance programs that utilize chest radiographs for the early detection of pneumoconiosis in dust exposed workers. This provides an opportunity for early interventions to minimize the chance of disease progression. 2. B Readers' standardized assessments of chest radiographs are used in public health agencies to track the population burden of pneumoconiosis and in various administrative, legal, and compensation settings. 3. B Readers are provided the opportunity to learn the International Labour Office (ILO) International Classification of Radiographs of Pneumoconioses classification system, the most widely used standardized procedure to document radiographic findings found in pneumoconiosis. 4. B Readers get certified by an examination documenting their ability to use the ILO classification system to evaluate (classify) chest radiographs. 5. B Readers play an important role in providing medical surveillance for workers with occupational exposures to respirable mineral dusts such as coal mine dust, asbestos, and crystalline silica. Recently implemented Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations have increased the need for services provided by B Readers. NIOSH anticipates that the need for physicians able to perform ILO classifications of chest radiographs will continue to increase and encourages radiologists, chest physicians, occupational medicine physicians and other interested physicians to consider becoming B Readers. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Asbestos Dust Environmental Exposure Health Personnel Inorganic Chemicals Lung Diseases Occupational Health Public Health Radiation Radiography Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Silicon Dioxide

  More +
• Keywords:
  Physicians; Radiography; Radiographic analysis; Pneumoconiosis; Surveillance programs; Chest radiography; Dust exposure; Dusts; Exposure levels; Risk factors; Diseases; Public health; Workers; Worker health; Respiratory diseases; Respiratory system disorders; Pulmonary system disorders; Mineral dusts; Coal dust; Asbestos; Crystalline silica
• Source:
  Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2019-111, 2018 Oct; :1
• Series:
  NIOSH Numbered Publications
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHPUB2019111
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Fact Sheet
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  RHD - Respiratory Health Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1 pdf page
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20053396
• CAS Registry Number:
  Asbestos (CAS RN 1332-21-4) ; Quartz (SiO2) (CAS RN 14808-60-7)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2019
• NORA Priority Area:
  Mining
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:4fdf2b15afd9b8a98154465ce0cfc684cdfc07a8c0fdf3eef9b48ba2aacb54107ccc909c4dff2597f22d8c1f82a7565b03cfa7edc225c57c3e99a791691bdda5
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/61635/cdc_61635_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 849.12 KB ]