The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) said it will provide free and confidential black lung screenings to coal miners through a mobile testing unit stopping at locations in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia.
All coal miners (current, former, underground, surface, and those under contract) are encouraged to participate. The screenings support early detection of black lung disease, a serious but preventable disease in coal miners caused by breathing coal mine dust.
“The NIOSH mobile unit plays an important role in the early detection of black lung disease,” said NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D. “When caught early, steps can be taken to help prevent black lung from progressing to the most serious forms of the disease.”
Screenings will take approximately 30 minutes and include a work history and respiratory health questionnaire; chest x-ray; blood pressure screening; and a breathing test (spirometry).
Dates and locations of the 2024 mobile screenings can be found here.
Source: CDC