A new Benson Medical Instruments video, Black Lung Disease – Is Your Spirometer Compliant? focuses on black lung disease and occupational spirometry for miners who are at risk of developing it. Black lung disease is caused by inhaling coal dust over an extended period of time.
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), in 2016 the number of black lung disease cases may have increased by 10 times what was previously reported.*
There is no cure for this disease, which is also known as Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis (CWP). Occupational spirometry testing is instrumental in helping medical professionals identify workers who may have black lung disease so that they can receive the help they need.
In 2016 NIOSH set new standards for spirometers used for the Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program (CWHSP). NIOSH defined a comprehensive CWHSP report format. In addition, spirometry test result data must be transferable from testing facilities and clinics to NIOSH.
Benson Medical Instruments’ CCS-200 Plus Spirometer meets the established standards and provides further benefits such as advanced reporting and analysis, and multi-year recordkeeping for each subject. Moreover, the CCS-200 Plus operating software has a built-in subject readiness interview to help the occupational health professional determine whether the coal miner should be tested on that particular day.
“It is important that coal miners be protected from work-related health hazards,” states Jim Teter, Sales Manager at Benson Medical Instruments. “Black lung can be prevented, but cannot be cured. TheCCS-200 Plus Spirometer is an invaluable tool for the occupational health practitioner in determining whether a worker is showing signs of black lung disease.”
See the video below.
About Benson Instruments
Benson Medical Instruments Co. designs and manufactures audiometers, earplug fit testers, spirometers and software to manage hearing conservation and occupational spirometry programs.
Benson instruments are widely used in military, industrial, and government safety and health applications. For more information: Jim Teter, Sales Manager, Benson Medical Instruments Co., 310 Fourth Avenue South, Suite 5000, Minneapolis, MN 55415 USA (Office) +1 612-827-2222 (Email) [email protected] (Website) Benson Medical (http://bit.ly/2b3285i).
* Advanced Black Lung Cases Surge in Appalachia, All Things Considered, NPR, December 16, 2016:
