Quality-assurance program for field health laboratories

Technical Report · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:5705455

Treaftis, H N; Parobeck, P S

The Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (and previously the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969) established mandatory dust standards for coal mines. Title II requires the Secretary of Labor to make frequent inspections of coal mines to determine compliance with the mandated 2.0 mg/cu m respirable-dust standard. Such inspections are made by representatives of the Secretary, who are coal-mine inspectors of the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). Sampling equipment used to assess respirable dust concentrations is calibrated and maintained at local field laboratories located in each Coal Mine Safety and Health district. Samples collected during inspections are weighed and analyzed at these laboratories. A selected number of laboratories are also qualified to weigh operator samples in accordance with provisions promulgated in Title 30, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 70. This paper describes the quality-assurance program conducted to assure the performance integrity of the field laboratories in the maintenance and calibration of respirable-dust-sampling equipment and the weighing of respirable coal mine dust samples.

• Research Organization: Mine Safety and Health Administration, Arlington, VA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5705455
• Report Number(s): PB-85-175792/XAB; MSHA/IR-1149
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
016000* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Health & Safety
017000 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Legislation & Regulations
COAL MINES
DUSTS
FIELD TESTS
LABORATORIES
LAWS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MINES
MINING LAWS
QUALITY ASSURANCE
REGULATIONS
SAFETY STANDARDS
SAMPLING
STANDARDS
SURVEYS
TESTING
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES