Released Thursday, November 12, 1998

Another Step in Quest to End Black Lung Disease
MSHA Distributing Booklet to Coal Miners on Respiratory Hazards Faced on the Job

The Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has published a new booklet for coal miners on the health hazards of mine dust. Miners who have been overexposed to dust in the mine air may contract black lung, a debilitating lung disease.

"We must educate each and every miner and mine operator about the dangers, the causes, and methods of preventing all respiratory diseases common to mine workers," said Davitt McAteer, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health. "The more all in the mining community know about black lung disease and silicosis, including their effects on the human body, the more they will understand the importance of preventing overexposure to mine dust. During the past 10 years new miners and supervisors have entered the industry. Many of these workers have presumed that since progress has been made black lung disease has disappeared. However, while much progress truly has been made, the disease remains a risk to today's miners. This new booklet, which provides such vital information on the disease, is an important step in our efforts to eradicate black lung disease--now and forever."

MSHA inspectors will distribute the booklet, Dust--What You Can't See CAN Hurt You!, at underground and surface coal mines throughout the U.S. over the next several months. The 24-page booklet describes the sources of dust in the mining environment, explains how the dust affects the body, further explains black lung disease and describes how exposure to respirable dust can be reduced or prevented.

The booklet also includes a section on dust sampling fraud--how it can be detected and reported.

The distribution of the booklet is one in a series of many actions taken by MSHA in recent years to combat black lung disease among miners. Earlier this year, the agency established a dust fraud hotline that miners can use to report instances of dust fraud in the mining industry. That number is 1-888-249-8223. MSHA also recently announced testing of a new continuous dust monitoring device, a "black box," that gives a continuous readout of current dust levels in the mining atmosphere. This continuous information allows miners and mine operators to make timely adjustments to reduce levels of respirable dust in the atmosphere, preventing prolonged overexposure.

Additional copies of the book may be obtained from the instructional materials department at the National Mine Health and Safety Academy in Beckley, W.Va., by calling 304-256-3257. The text of the booklet may also be found in the near future on MSHA's web site at www.msha.gov.