CMSP Occupational Health & Industrial Hygiene Flashcards

What is the MSHA permissible exposure limit (PEL) for respirable coal mine dust for miners without pneumoconiosis?

Answer: 2.0 mg/m³

MSHA's PEL for respirable coal mine dust is 2.0 mg/m³ for miners who do not have evidence of pneumoconiosis.

Coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP), commonly called 'black lung,' is caused by prolonged inhalation of:

Answer: Respirable coal and mixed mine dust

CWP results from the long-term deposition of respirable coal and mixed mine dust in the lungs, causing progressive fibrosis.

Which industrial hygiene sampling method is required by MSHA to assess a miner's personal exposure to respirable dust?

Answer: Personal breathing zone sampling using a personal dust monitor (PDM)

MSHA requires personal breathing zone sampling to capture the actual dust concentration inhaled by individual miners during their work shift.

What does the term 'threshold limit value – time weighted average' (TLV-TWA) represent?

Answer: The average airborne concentration to which workers may be exposed 8 hours/day, 40 hours/week without adverse effects

The TLV-TWA is the ACGIH-established concentration for a normal 8-hour workday and 40-hour workweek that nearly all workers can be repeatedly exposed to without adverse health effects.

Which of the following best describes the 'hierarchy of controls' approach to occupational health hazards in mining?

Answer: Elimination → substitution → engineering controls → administrative controls → PPE

The hierarchy of controls prioritizes elimination of the hazard first, then substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and PPE as the last resort.

What health condition is associated with prolonged occupational exposure to crystalline silica dust in mining?

Answer: Silicosis

Silicosis is an irreversible and potentially fatal lung disease caused by inhaling crystalline silica dust, common in hard rock and certain coal mining operations.