Best Practices for Dust Control in Coal Mining, Second Edition

In coal mining, overexposure to respirable coal mine dust can lead to coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP), commonly known as black lung. CWP is a lung disease that can be disabling and fatal in its most severe form. Miners can also be exposed to high levels of respirable silica dust, which can cause silicosis, another disabling and sometimes fatal lung disease. The goal is to limit worker exposure to respirable dust to prevent development of these lung diseases. To address these issues, this handbook provides general information on engineering dust control technologies for coal mining along with extensive references. It also discusses the health effects of dust exposure and dust sampling measures and instruments.