To Be Or Not To Be, A NIOSH B Reader
January 1997
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 97-104
This pamphlet discussed becoming a NIOSH B-Reader. NIOSH B-Reader approval may granted to physicians who demonstrate proficiency in the classification of chest X-rays for pneumoconiosis using the International Labour Office (ILO) Classification System. A NIOSH-B Reader Certification Examination was available which was developed in response to the mandates of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act. Examinations were offered monthly in Morgantown, West Virginia. In preparation for the examination, NIOSH recommended some pretest study. Once a person fails the examination, they must wait a full year before trying to pass again. The examination was considered to be difficult, consistently demonstrating a 50% fail rate.