<story><title>An Epidemic Is Killing Thousands of Coal Miners</title><url>https://www.npr.org/2018/12/18/675253856/an-epidemic-is-killing-thousands-of-coal-miners-regulators-could-have-stopped-it</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>gnu8</author><text>It&amp;#x27;s clear that no one should be working in a mine without at minimum an N95 mask and probably a PAPR (powered air purifying respirator). I wonder if there is any reason at all, other than preserving corporate profit margins, that the coal industry has failed to adopt simple and well understood industrial hygiene practices.&lt;p&gt;Clean coal indeed.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>whyenot</author><text>That&amp;#x27;s a good point -- why aren&amp;#x27;t mining companies buying PAPRs for their workers? PAPRs are designed for difficult conditions like hot and damp, and at least in my experience, the constant flow of air over your face cools you down and is a lot more comfortable than a traditional respirator. Mining is a relatively well paid profession. Yes, PAPRs are expensive ($1,500), and depending on how often they need to be changed, the cost of filters can quickly add up, but even for a heartless corporation, wouldn&amp;#x27;t it make monetary sense to invest a few $1,000 a year per worker to keep your most experienced employees, avoid lawsuits, etc.?</text></comment>
<story><title>An Epidemic Is Killing Thousands of Coal Miners</title><url>https://www.npr.org/2018/12/18/675253856/an-epidemic-is-killing-thousands-of-coal-miners-regulators-could-have-stopped-it</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>gnu8</author><text>It&amp;#x27;s clear that no one should be working in a mine without at minimum an N95 mask and probably a PAPR (powered air purifying respirator). I wonder if there is any reason at all, other than preserving corporate profit margins, that the coal industry has failed to adopt simple and well understood industrial hygiene practices.&lt;p&gt;Clean coal indeed.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>adanto6840</author><text>Surely it&amp;#x27;s cheaper to provide this kind of protection (I assumed it would be OSHA-mandated honestly) than it is to pay for the healthcare and&amp;#x2F;or lawsuits that follow?&lt;p&gt;I admittedly haven&amp;#x27;t read the article yet, but it&amp;#x27;s surprising to me that black lung &amp;#x2F; industrial air quality isn&amp;#x27;t something that OSHA (or similar) is tasked with ensuring ample worker protections for.</text></comment>