What is black lung?

In recent years, cases of black lung have surged among coal miners. Every year, about 1,000 miners die from it, according to the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

Also known as coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, black lung is a “job-related disease caused by continued exposure to excessive amounts of respirable coal mine dust,” NIOSH says. “This dust becomes imbedded in the lungs, causing them to harden, making breathing very difficult.”

Miners may not show symptoms during the early stages of the disease, but those in the later stages of black lung – which is referred to as progressive massive fibrosis – may experience:

• Shortness of breath
• Coughing
• Painful breathing

To determine if a miner has black lung, they’ll need an X-ray and pulmonary function tests. Your employer can help: “Every operator of an underground coal mine is required to have an X-ray plan approved by NIOSH,” the agency says. “If an X-ray shows that you have black lung, you will be notified by the Mine Safety and Health Administration of the results, and of the right to work in a low-dust area under the requirements of 30 CFR Part 90.”

To help reduce the risk of developing this condition, NIOSH recommends miners:

• Become familiar with the dust control provisions in your mine’s ventilation plan.
• Use controls such as scrubbers and dry dust collectors.
• Wear respiratory protection when necessary.
• Ensure a respirable dust control on-shift examination is conducted at underground coal mines.