Occupational and environmental medicine
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Chronic bronchitis and emphysema are now recognised complications of occupational exposure to coal dust, and since 1992 compensation has been available for miners with impaired lung function provided that they also have x ray film evidence of pneumoconiosis. However, many miners with heavy exposure to coal dust and impairment of lung function therefore do not qualify for compensation because they do not have simple pneumoconiosis. In the present study attempts were made to determine whether coal mining is an independent risk factor for impairment of lung function in a group of Nottinghamshire miners with no evidence of simple pneumoconiosis, by comparing these men with a group of local controls who were not occupationally exposed. ⋯ Occupational exposure to coal dust is associated with a small mean deficit in lung function even in the absence of simple pneumoconiosis, and independently from the effects of smoking. The requirement that miners should have evidence of pneumoconiosis to qualify for compensation for impaired lung function is therefore unjustified.