PURPOSE:  To document how coal miners can use real-time information from their personal dust monitors (PDM) to reduce their exposure to respirable dust.

RESEARCH SUMMARY:  Although the most recent data on the prevalence of Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis (CWP) in the United States indicates that it is declining, substantial numbers of CWP cases continue to be diagnosed. In recent years, CWP has contributed to the deaths of approximately 1,000 people in the U.S. each year. A PDM has recently been developed via a NIOSH contract with Rupprecht & Patashnick Co., Inc. As with the introduction of any new technology, it is very important to systematically document how workers react to it and make use of it. It is hoped that miners will use the real time dust exposure information provided by their PDM to make adjustments to their work place or work procedures that reduce their exposure to respirable dust. However, no one knows precisely how miners performing a wide variety of tasks and jobs are actually going to make use of this new information. This study will ensure that the strategies miners discover for using PDM information are well documented and quickly shared throughout the coal industry. The information for this study will be collected through one-on-one structured interviews with approximately 20 miners at each of 5 mines located throughout the major coal producing regions of the U.S. A structured interview guide has been developed and pilot tested at two mines. This study will help reduce the incidence of lung disease among coal miners, leading to improvements in their longevity and quality of life. The outputs of this project will include publications and presentations on how coal miners can use information from PDMs to reduce their exposure to respirable dust. Also, materials will be developed for (a) teaching miners about the capabilities and use of their PDM, and (b) teaching PDM maintenance personnel about how to download data, clean the unit, and program it for the next shift of sampling.