Specifications for Medical Examinations of Underground Coal Miners; Proposed Rule

With this notice of proposed rulemaking, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposes to modify its regulations on Specifications for Medical Examinations of Underground Coal Miners. Existing regulations establish specifications for providing, interpreting, classifying, and submitting film-based roentgenograms (now commonly called chest radiographs or X-rays) of underground coal miners for the surveillance of coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (black lung) under the Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program, administered by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The current standards specify requirements that permit the use of film-based radiography systems only; proposed amendments would retain those standards (with minor modifications that reflect more commonly-used terms) and add a parallel set of standards to specify requirements that would permit the use of digital radiography systems. An additional proposed amendment would require coal mine operators to provide NIOSH with employee rosters to assist the Program in improving participation by miners.

View the submissions received in response to this docket

Notice of proposed rulemaking; 77 FR 1360; 1/9/2012 [PDF – 295 KB]

Notice of final rule; 77 FR 56718; 9/13/12 [PDF – 27,768 KB]