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Title: Quality-assurance program for field health laboratories

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5705455

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