Mining Safety and Health Research at NIOSH Reviews of Research Programs of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (2007) / Chapter Skim
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Part II: Evaluation of Strategic Research Areas, 8 Review of Respiratory Disease Prevention Research
Part II: Evaluation of Strategic Research Areas, 8 Review of Respiratory Disease Prevention Research
Pages 87-107
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From page 87... ...
Part II Evaluation of Strategic Research Areas In this part of the report, the committee provides a detailed analysis of each of the Mining Program's seven strategic research areas. The format of each chapter corresponds with the evaluation flow diagram presented in Figure 1-1.
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From page 89... ...
• The Mining Program should identify those occupations and tasks that result in chronic overexposure to silica dust. RESEARCH IN MININg RESPIRATORy DISEASE REDUCTION Respiratory diseases have always been a health risk for mine workers.
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STRATEgIC gOALS AND OBjECTIvES The strategic goal of the Mining Program's respiratory disease prevention research (NIOSH, 2005a) is to "reduce respiratory diseases in miners by reduc ing health hazards in the workplace associated with coal worker pneumoconiosis, silicosis, and diesel emissions." The performance measure of this goal (NIOSH, 2005a)
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From page 91... ...
for respirable dust in coal mines and for silica in all mines established by others. The coal mine workers medical surveillance program of the DRDS also provides valuable input to the mining program by documenting trends and clusters in the occurrence of CWP.1 Primary and secondary prevention of CWP and silicosis require reduction of exposure for all miners and additional reduction for miners with early signs of disease (e.g., positive chest X-ray for CWP)
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From page 92... ...
Reduce coal miner exposure to silica This goal will be achieved if improved Same as above and coal dust control technologies reduce the frequency of overexposure of continuous miner operators, roof bolter operators, and surface drill operators by 50% within 5 years (baseline is 2003)
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From page 93... ...
underground Feasible but, since neither MSHA nor NIOSH emissions in underground mines coal miners' exposure to DPM is reduced by monitors ambient exposure in coal mines, it will 60% within 6 years and (2) the frequency of be difficult to measure overexposure of metal and nonmetal miners to DPM is reduced by 40% (assuming the current 400 µg/m3 standard)
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From page 94... ...
Although there seems to be limited interaction between the Mining Program and other NIOSH programs with respect to respiratory disease prevention, and little input from small mine operators, the Mining Program is exceptionally recep tive to major stakeholder input. REvIEW OF ACTIvITIES The Mining Program describes 14 current projects in mining respiratory dis ease reduction in materials submitted to the committee (NIOSH, 2005a)
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From page 95... ...
A PDM providing real-time of daily and cumulative dust MSHA, this device Exposure measurement of silica and coal dust doses of designated operations could be very useful exposure of miners for identifying dust sources and reducing miners' exposure. The prevention of overexposure is expected 2.
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From page 96... ...
Dust Control 2 Reduce respirable dust at longwall Since exposure on longwall Impact is expected to for Longwall operations by optimizing control sections is highest and most be high, but generic Mining parameters that impact dust generated troublesome, this emphasis is dust control methods by the shearer, evaluate shield dust appropriate and the relevance of may have to be adapted entrainment in high-velocity airstreams this work is high to section-specific up to 2,000 feet per minute, conduct characteristics such as benchmarking surveys on longwall faces coal friability, moisture, to quantify dust levels from various seam height, etc. sources, define current operating practices, and determine the relative effectiveness of control technologies
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resolution of issues related affordable Controls to their use, and (3) information for Outby dissemination and education to Underground facilitate implementation Coal Mine Equipment continued 97
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From page 98... ...
demonstrate has the appearance of effectiveness of improved mine-wide being unsystematic and and localized ventilation systems in ad hoc limestone mines for diluting dust and reducing residence time 9. Control of 3 Development of controls to reduce The approach seems appropriate This could have Silica Dust silica dust exposure of operators of for underground coal mines.
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From page 99... ...
Ultrafine 5 In-mine and laboratory evaluation of It may be worthwhile to Impact cannot be Aerosols control technologies on physical and determine what mass fraction of ascertained at this time; from Diesel- chemical properties and toxicity of respirable dust is associated with the work is exploratory Powered nanometer and ultrafine diesel aerosols. "ultrafine" particles.
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From page 100... ...
Investigation of the risk of lung cancer Highly relevant; this is an Impact is expected to Mortality in relation to quantitative measures of important study because it be high Study with DPM and determination if there is an provides better information a Nested elevated risk of mortality from other about exposure to DPM and Case-Control causes among miners exposed to DPM confounders and it is based on a Study of Lung large population Cancer and Diesel Exhaust Among Nonmetal Miners aSOURCE: NIOSH, 2005a.
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From page 101... ...
. • Between 2001 and 2005, the respirable coal dust samples in underground coal mines exceeding the 2.00 mg/m3 standard ranged from 10 to 16 percent with a mean of 12.7 percent.
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From page 102... ...
REvIEW OF RESEARCH OUTPUTS The Mining Program has continued the USBM tradition of quality publications regarding respiratory disease prevention in professional journals and proceedings, technical reports, and handbooks. Much of this work has recently been compiled into a useful document entitled Handbook for Dust Control in Mining (Kissell, 2003)
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From page 103... ...
In general, there appears to be a coherent planned program to transfer technology related to respiratory disease prevention. Information is reaching the relevant stakeholders and workplaces throughout the industry.
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From page 104... ...
, with the collaboration of mine operators, miners, and their unions, played a critical role in achieving reduc tions in respiratory diseases by developing feasible and effective means of reduc ing exposure to respirable dust.3 Results of respiratory disease research within the 3 Developing control methods is a necessary, but not a sufficient, condition for preventing disease. Other aspects, not discussed in this report, involve programs managed by other divisions within NIOSH and include development of exposure limits, disease surveillance to both evaluate and document progress, and research into the pathophysiology of disease.
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From page 105... ...
Mining Program are applicable to other industries and have already been applied in tunnel driving and dust control at the nuclear waste repository in Nevada. ASSESSMENT OF RELEvANCE AND IMPACT Mining Program efforts in respiratory disease prevention have made at least a moderate contribution on the basis of end outcomes or well-accepted intermediate outcomes and have had impact on the worker.
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From page 106... ...
In collaboration with DRDS, the Mining Program needs to develop methods for evaluating exposure conditions associated with cases of acute or accelerated silicosis. The Mining Program should also develop methods for measurement of miners' exposure to freshly fractured silica on the job and, collaborating with DRDS, for evaluating the health risks to humans of exposure to freshly fractured silica.
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From page 107... ...
RevIew R e s p I R ato Ry d I s e a s e p R e v e n t I o n R e s e a R c H of 07 ground coal mines. It can also be used at surface and metal or nonmetal mines and in other industries where there is exposure to airborne particles.
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