NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) testimony on coal mining before the Subcommittee on Energy and Power, House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, by Hohn F. Finklea, May 26, 1977
The statement concerned the occupational safety and health aspects of increased coal production, the conversion of oil- and gas-fired boilers to coal, and proposed coal conversion technologies. Studies continued to show that coal mining was one of the most hazardous occupations in the United States. Coal miners have excessive rates of chronic bronchitis and airway obstruction. Coal workers' pneumoconiosis continued to be a common finding in morbidity studies. Underground mining accounts for 82% of mining fatalities and 85% of nonfatal injuries. Increasing the production of coal would require that the coal-mining population be increased. Changes in mining techniques would also impact on the health of the miners. The introduction of diesel powered equipment into coal mines was of particular concern due to the possible health effects of long term exposure to a combination of coal dust and the gases and vapors of diesel exhaust. Conversion to coal-fired power-generation facilities would increase the public health hazards of emissions from coal combustion. Hazards to workers involved with large-scale coal-conversion technology included exposure to chemical carcinogens, toxic inorganic gases, noise, and heat stress.
- Research Organization:
- National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 7270766
- Report Number(s):
- PB-90-130659/XAB
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) testimony on mine health research before the Subcommittee on Labor, Senate Committee on Human Resources, by Edward J. Baier, March 31, 1977
NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) testimony on mine health research before the Subcommittee on Compensation, Health and Safety; House Committee on Education and Labor, by Edward J. Baier, April 4, 1977
Related Subjects
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
COAL INDUSTRY
COMBUSTION PRODUCTS
COAL MINING
HEALTH HAZARDS
EXHAUST GASES
DIESEL ENGINES
DUSTS
EPIDEMIOLOGY
HEARINGS
INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE
MINING EQUIPMENT
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
POWER GENERATION
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
RISK ASSESSMENT
TOXIC MATERIALS
TOXICITY
DISEASES
DOCUMENT TYPES
ENGINES
EQUIPMENT
FLUIDS
GASEOUS WASTES
GASES
HAZARDS
HEAT ENGINES
INDUSTRY
INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
MATERIALS
MEDICINE
MINING
SAFETY
WASTES
016000* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Health & Safety
552000 - Public Health