Lung disease from work-related exposure to coal mine dust can damage different parts of the lungs, including the small airways. When these airways, which resemble twigs branching off the trunk of a tree, are damaged, breathing can become significantly difficult.

Historically, December has been a particularly tragic month in U.S. coal mining. Considered the worst mining accident ever, explosions at West Virginia’s Monongah Nos. 6 and 8 in 1906 claimed 362 lives.

Today is National Miner’s Day, officially proclaimed as such by Congress in 2009. The designation is intended to focus attention on mine workers, who perform one of the most dangerous jobs in America. Miners put their lives at risk each and every day as they contend with health and safety issues as well as their uncertainty of the future.

The Southeastern part of the U.S. has an especially high workplace fatality rate, with 5.2 work-related injury deaths per 100,000 workers in 2014, compared with 3.8 nationwide, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

Companies looking to improve compliance with the Mine Safety & Health Administration (MSHA) rules can now look to safety consultant Doug Herlein at J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. Herlein brings 30 years of safety and compliance experience to J. J. Keller, which includes expertise in the area of MSHA compliance, in addition to DOT and human resources compliance.

On October 1, the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) enters its third decade. Unveiled in 1996, NORA is a partnership program to stimulate innovative research and improved workplace practices. Through NORA, diverse parties come together to create a research framework for the nation, including stakeholders from universities, large and small businesses, professional societies, government agencies, and worker organizations. NIOSH is proud to continue its role as steward of NORA.

Cities and towns beset by natural disasters or catastrophic events immediately turn to their community’s first responders to coordinate and execute rescue and recovery efforts. The practice is no different when a calamity occurs in an underground mine.

The “S” in NIOSH could stand for science, super, or spectacular but as we all know (and maybe sometimes forget) it stands for safety. Safety is a critical part of the NIOSH mission: safety and health at work for all people through research and prevention.

Federal mine enforcement officers issued 157 citations, one order and two safeguards during the special impact inspections conducted at 10 coal mines and six metal and nonmetal mines in March.