NIOSH mobile screening unit; image courtesy of NIOSH

GATLINBURG, TN - Area miners who may be affected by black lung disease, a respiratory disease caused by inhaling coal mine dust, are invited to participate in a free, confidential health screening, which will take place September 25–27 at the Park Vista hotel in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. All current and former miners are encouraged to participate. The screenings are offered by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The screenings are taking place in conjunction with the National Coalition of Black Lung & Respiratory Disease Clinics 2019 Conference.

Screening location and schedule:

Park Vista hotel, 705 Cherokee Orchard Road, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
September 25: 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
September 26: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
September 27: 8:00 a.m. to Noon

Appointments are suggested and can be made by calling 1-888-480-4042; walk-ins are also welcome.

“If black lung is caught early, steps can be taken to help prevent it from progressing to the most serious forms of the disease,” said NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D. “The NIOSH surveillance program provides both underground and surface miners with confidential screenings that can enable and motivate action towards reducing their exposure to coal dust.”

Screening will include a work history questionnaire, a chest radiograph, a respiratory assessment questionnaire, lung function testing (spirometry), and blood pressure screening. The screening typically takes about 30 minutes and each individual miner is provided with their results. By law, each miner’s results are confidential. No individual information is publicly disclosed.

Participation in this program gives the coal miner:
• An easy way of checking on their health;
• A confidential report regarding whether or not they have radiographic evidence of black lung;
• A confidential report about their lung function.

For more information, visit the NIOSH website. You may also call the toll free number 1-888-480-4042 with questions.

NIOSH is the federal institute that conducts research and makes recommendations for preventing work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths. For more information about NIOSH visit www.cdc.gov/niosh.