Any term defined in the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 and not defined below will have the meaning given it in the Act. As used in this subpart:
Act means the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 801, et seq.).
Chest radiograph means a single posteroanterior radiographic projection or radiograph of the chest at full inspiration recorded on either film or digital radiography systems.
Convenient time and place with respect to the conduct of any examination under this subpart means that the examination must be given at a reasonable hour in the locality in which the miner resides or a location that is equally accessible to the miner. For example, examinations at the mine during, immediately preceding, or immediately following work and a ``no appointment'' examination at a medical facility in a community easily accessible to the residences of a majority of the miners working at the mine, will be considered of equivalent convenience for purposes of this paragraph.
Digital radiography systems, as used in this context, include both Digital Radiography (DR) and Computed Radiography (CR).
(1) Computed radiography (CR) is the term for digital X-ray image acquisition systems that detect X-ray signals using a cassette-based photostimulable storage phosphor. Subsequently, the cassette is processed using a stimulating laser beam to convert the latent radiographic image to electronic signals which are then processed and stored so they can be displayed.
(2) Digital radiography (DR) is the term used for digital X-ray image acquisition systems in which the X-ray signals received by the image detector are converted nearly instantaneously to electronic signals without movable cassettes.
ILO Classification means the below-referenced classification of radiographs of the pneumoconioses system devised by an international committee of the International Labour Office (ILO), including a complete set of standard film radiographs or digital chest image files available from the ILO or other set of chest image files accepted by NIOSH as equivalent.
MSHA means the Mine Safety and Health Administration, Department of Labor.
Miner means any individual working in a coal or other mine.
NIOSH means the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), located within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Within NIOSH, the Division of Respiratory Disease Studies (DRDS), 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV 26505, formerly called the Appalachian Laboratory for Occupational Safety and Health, is the organizational unit that has programmatic responsibility for the medical examination and surveillance program.
NIOSH representative means employees of CDC/NIOSH and employees of CDC contractors.
Operator means any owner, lessee, or other person who operates, controls, or supervises a coal or other mine or any independent contractor performing services or construction at such mine.
Panel of B Readers means the group of physicians that are currently approved by NIOSH as B Readers.
Pre-placement physical examination means any medical examination that includes a chest radiographic examination given in accordance with the specifications of this Part to a person not previously employed by the same operator. Such examinations should be conducted consistent with applicable law, including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which provides that pre-placement examinations take place only after an offer of employment has been made and subject to certain restrictions (42 U.S.C. 12112(d)).
Qualified medical physicist means an individual who is trained in evaluating the performance of radiographic equipment including radiation controls and facility quality assurance programs, and has the relevant current certification by a competent U.S. national board, or unrestricted license or approval from a U.S. State or territory.
Radiographic technique chart means a table that specifies the types of cassette, intensifying screen, film or digital detector, grid, filter, and lists X-ray machine settings (timing, kVp, mA) that enables the radiographer to select the correct settings based on the body habitus or the thickness of the chest tissue.
Radiologic technologist means an individual who has met the requirements for privileges to perform general radiographic procedures and for competence in using the equipment and software employed by the examining facility to obtain chest images as specified by the State or Territory and examining facility in which such services are provided. Optimally, such an individual will have completed a formal training program in radiography leading to a certificate, an associate degree, or a bachelor's degree and participated in the voluntary initial certification and annual renewal of registration for radiologic technologists offered by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists.
Secretary means the Secretary of Health and Human Services and any other officer or employee of the Department of Health and Human Services to whom the authority involved may be delegated.
Soft copy means the image of a coal miner's chest radiograph acquired using a digital radiography system, viewed at the full resolution of the image acquisition system using an electronic medical image display device. [77 FR 56726, Sept. 13, 2012, as amended at 79 FR 45118, Aug. 4, 2014]