Black lung
‘Putting the fox in charge of the henhouse:’ Miners, advocates concerned over proposed silica rule
BEAVER — Vonda Robinson’s granddaughter is only five years old, but she knows all about black lung. For as long as she’s been alive, she’s watched her grandfather cart around an oxygen tank that helps him breathe. “She knows how to turn it on, how to turn it up, she knows everything and she’ll tell […]
Advocates urge more enforcement, oversight for MSHA’s proposed silica dust rule
The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration is hosting a public comment hearing in Beckley on Thursday on a proposed rule that could strengthen silica exposure standards — one of the leading causes of black lung — for coal miners. The proposed rule would, for the first time, implement a separate exposure limit for silica […]
NIOSH to offer coal miners free black lung screening in Morgantown next week
Coal miners can get screened for black lung disease next week during a three-day event at Mylan Park in Morgantown. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health will offer free black lung screenings to coal miners from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, July 25 through 27 at Mylan Park, according […]
Proposed silica dust rule could protect miners from black lung, federal officials say
A proposed federal rule change aims to protect miners’ health by limiting exposure to respirable crystalline silica, or silica dust. Exposure to mixed coal mine dust that contains silica — a carcinogen — can lead to the development of pneumoconiosis, commonly known as black lung disease. Black lung cases have been on the rise, and […]