Black Lung Awareness

Overview/Description Underground mining is one of the most dangerous occupations. Risks include inhaling toxic gases, such as methane, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen sulfide; being crushed by roof falls or mining equipment; drowning when tunnels fill with water; and injury in fires and explosions. Even if miners survive the workplace, they may suffocate to death years later. Surface and underground mining are associated with two pneumoconioses or dust diseases of the lung. Black lung disease, also known as coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, comes from inhaling coal mine dust. The other disease, silicosis, is caused by inhaling silica dust from crushed rocks. Black lung and silicosis often appear together because coal seams are found between rock layers that contain silica. When miners inhale dust, it deposits along their airways. Their bodies try to remove the dust by sending in special white blood cells called macrophages to engulf and chemically digest it. But the cells are unable to break down the dust, so they die and release enzymes that damage lung tissue. This causes problems that include chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and fibrosis (scarring). In progressive massive fibrosis, the most severe version of black lung, scarring causes lung volume to shrink, further damaging adjacent lung tissue and making air exchange even worse. Miners typically work 10 to 12 hours a day and up to seven days a week. This increases their exposure time and decreases the recovery time their bodies need to heal damage from silica and coal dust particles. Traditionally, the black lung was associated with miners who had been working for at least 20 years, with symptoms often appearing after retirement. The recent trend is that black lung, including progressive massive fibrosis, is occurring after a shorter time in mining – as little as five years of mining underground. Course Content

• Black Lung
• Pneumoconiosis
• Pneumoconiosis is not caused by smoking!
• Disease Prevention
• Secondary prevention
• A Recent Death with Severe CWP
• WV in 2008 – Pneumoconiosis Observed
• Reasons for Increase
• Summary
• Primary Solutions
• Take Home Message