One Hundred Years of Federal Mining Safety and Health Research

• Administer a medical surveillance program for coal miners, including chest X-rays to
detect pneumoconiosis in coal miners;
• Conduct on-site investigations in mines similar to those authorized for general industry
under the OSH Act;
• Test and certify personal protective equipment and hazard-measurement instruments.
In relation to health research, the 1977 Mine Act also empowered NIOSH with much greater
responsibility within the mining industry, since its research mandate was extended to include the
health of all miners, not just coal miners. Previous NIOSH research had been devoted to the
health of noncoal miners only under the authority of the Public Health Service Act (Public Law
78-410). The Bureau had previously done mining health and safety research in noncoal mines
under authority of its Organic Act of 1913 and also the Federal Metal and Nonmetallic Mine
Safety Act of 1966 (Public Law 89-577).
The Federal Mine Safety and Health Amendments Act of 1977 (Public Law 95-164) had given
responsibility for mine health research to NIOSH, through the Secretary of the Department of
Health, Education, and Welfare, and responsibility for mine safety research to the Bureau,
through the Department of the Interior. The Bureau also conducted research on mining
technology aimed at protecting the health of miners.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the acting directors of NIOSH and the Bureau
in the summer of 1978. This agreement set guidelines for division of research responsibilities
between the two agencies, specifying how the agencies would interact to coordinate their
research programs in mining health and safety. In general, the agreement specified that the
Bureau would conduct mining research designed to improve safety and to improve the
environmental conditions in mines. The Bureau’s health-related research was to study
technology to reduce the health hazards of miners, such as improving mining methods,
equipment, and work practices. NIOSH would conduct research to prevent mining-related
occupational diseases through examination of miners, evaluation of their exposures to health
hazards, and development of improved occupational health methodology. Under this agreement,
NIOSH and the Bureau coordinated their research activities, especially in the area of miners’
health, until the absorption of the Bureau’s mining health and safety research into NIOSH in
1996.
The 1969 Coal Act (Sec. 102) had authorized the Secretary of the Interior to appoint an advisory
committee on coal mine safety research and the Secretary of HEW to appoint an advisory
committee on coal mine health research. During 1970, the Secretary of HEW established and
appointed members to the Secretary’s Coal Mine Health Research Advisory Council. The
Council’s first meeting was held on November 10-11, 1970, in Washington, D.C. The Council
made recommendations to the Secretary on matters relating to coal mine health research
undertaken under the 1969 Coal Act including intramural research, research grants, and
contracts.
The Secretary of Interior also established an advisory committee on coal mine safety research,
which operated from 1970 to 1977. The 1977 Mine Act authorized committees on both mining
safety research and health research. The Department of the Interior did not establish a new
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