NIOSH Black Lung Screenings Return

NIOSH’s black lung screening has returned to the field in West Virginia after federal government cuts shut it down earlier this year.
“It did take some time — first to stop everything [in April] and then, you know, getting everything back going again,” Laura Reynolds, the supervisory programs management officer with the NIOSH Respiratory Health Division, said. “But we’re fully operational again now. Everything is staffed, we’ve got the mobile unit going, and we’re just happy to be back in the community meeting miners where they are.”
Four staffers man the mobile black lung screening unit, which provides miners with free screenings to test their lung function and see if there is evidence of black lung.
In central Appalachia, black lung rates are on the rise; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 20% of coal miners here are suffering from black lung — the highest rate detected in more than 25 years.
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OSHA’s annual “Safe + Sound Week” will be from Aug. 11-17, with this year’s effort emphasizing emergency preparedness and response, recognizing that emergencies can happen anywhere and at any time.
The agency describes a workplace emergency as an unexpected event that poses risks to workers, customers, or the public, disrupts or shuts down operations, and can cause physical or environmental damage.
Next week OSHA plans to provide resources to help businesses understand how to stay informed, develop effective emergency action plans, and prepare to respond when an emergency arises.
The National Association of Home Builders said it is offering additional resources and programs to piggyback on the OSHA effort.
The trade group is touting its Jobsite Safety Handbook mobile application to help homebuilders, contractors and workers identify safe work practices that impact the most hazardous activities in the industry.
The app is available in both English and Spanish.
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