Latest news with #MineSafetyandHealthAdministration
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Industrial Vacuum Cleaner Market To Hit Valuation of US$ 1,092.66 Million by 2033
The industrial vacuum cleaner market is poised for steady growth, driven by increasing industrialization, stringent safety regulations, and demand for efficient, eco-friendly cleaning solutions across sectors like manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and food processing. Chicago, June 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global industrial vacuum cleaner market was valued at US$ 725.62 million in 2024 and is expected to reach US$ 1,092.66 million by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 5.25% during the forecast period 2025–2033. The industrial vacuum cleaner market is positioned for robust expansion because regulatory agencies are now treating dust mitigation as a frontline safety measure rather than a housekeeping task. Under the updated NFPA 652 standard that took effect on 1 January 2024, every U.S. facility handling combustible particulates must file a Dust Hazard Analysis, a requirement that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is already enforcing through eight regional emphasis programs. Simultaneously, the EU Machinery Regulation 2023/1230 obliges machine builders to integrate sub-ten-micron filtration into any equipment that moves harmful emissions, while the Mine Safety and Health Administration's proposed silica rule lowers the respirable limit to fifty micrograms per cubic meter. These concrete thresholds force procurement teams in metals, chemicals, and food processing to replace improvised shop vacuums with certified Class II, Division 2 or ATEX-rated systems. As a result, Nilfisk, Delfin, Kärcher, and Ruwac together booked more than thirty-eight thousand explosion-proof or H14-filtered units during calendar-year 2023, a figure that industry trackers such as Interact Analysis expect to rise steadily through 2026 as additional jurisdictions adopt similar exposure limits. Download Sample Pages: Technology economics reinforce the same upward trajectory. BloombergNEF's December 2023 survey placed average lithium-ion pack prices at US$ 139 per kilowatt-hour, roughly one-third lower than the 2018 level, allowing cordless ride-on vacuums to deliver six-hour runtimes while trimming annual extension-cord repair bills by nearly US$ 7,000 in a typical three-shift warehouse. On the connectivity front, Berg Insight counted forty-two thousand industrial vacuums already transmitting vibration and airflow data to cloud platforms that feed computerized maintenance systems. Plants adopting these predictive-service models see mean-time-between-failure intervals extend past four-thousand-eight-hundred hours, which directly safeguards throughput on adjacent production lines. With statutory pressure at the front end and measurable cost avoidance at the back end, the industrial vacuum cleaner market holds clear, quantifiable headroom for accelerated adoption over the next three years. Key Findings in Industrial Vacuum Cleaner Market Market Forecast (2033) US$ 1,092.66 million CAGR 5.25% Largest Region (2024) Europe (35%) By Product Type Wet/Dry Vacuum Cleaners (60%) By Mode of Operation Electric Powered (78%) By Filtration System HEPA Filter (35%) By Application Material Pickup and Dust Removal (40%) Top Drivers Stringent workplace safety regulations boost cleaner adoption globally. Rising industrialization increases demand for efficient cleaning solutions. Growing focus on hygiene in food processing sectors. Top Trends Adoption of robotic vacuums for automated industrial cleaning. Development of explosion-proof cleaners for hazardous environments. Shift toward cordless models for enhanced operational mobility. Top Challenges High initial costs limit adoption in smaller industries. Maintenance complexities deter consistent usage in industrial settings. Shift Toward Energy Efficient Motors Reshapes Equipment Procurement Considerations Worldwide Rising electricity tariffs and net-zero pledges place motor efficiency at the center of the industrial vacuum cleaner market conversation. The U.S. Department of Energy's 2024 update to 10 CFR 431 elevated the minimum rating for industrial vacuum motors above NEMA Premium, while the EU's Ecodesign Regulation 2023/179 imposed similar thresholds. As a result, brushless permanent-magnet units with IE5 performance have jumped from niche offerings to mainstream catalogue items. TEFC brushless motors now operate at 5,500 RPM with variable-frequency drives, lowering amp draw during partial load and extending carbon-filter life. In actual plant trials at an automotive foundry in Michigan, kWh consumption dropped by 12 per shift—yielding annual savings that fully offset the higher acquisition price in seventeen months. Efficiency mandates also push OEMs to refine airflow architecture. Wider radius bends, smooth-wall aluminum tubing, and digital throttling valves reduce turbulence, keeping volumetric flow above 300 CFM while reducing static pressure losses. Furthermore, smart drive controls automatically downshift motor speed when the dust hopper reaches 70 percent of its load cell threshold, preventing over-consumption in off-peak hours. Though upfront capital outlay remains a barrier for small job shops, leasing models with usage-based billing have lowered the entry point below US$ 3,000 for multi-shift applications. These innovations cement high-efficiency propulsion as a core differentiator in the global industrial vacuum cleaner market narrative. Battery Technology Breakthroughs Unlock Cordless Productivity In Large Warehouse Facilities Cord-free mobility has arrived decisively in the industrial vacuum cleaner market thanks to rapid advances in lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) chemistry. The latest LFP packs deliver 190 Wh/kg, allowing 36-volt commercial uprights to run six full hours on a single charge while maintaining 220 CFM airflow. Logistics hubs operated by Amazon and DHL added 1,800 cordless industrial vacuums during 2024 peak-season trials, reporting a 27-minute drop in average aisle downtime because no extension cords needed safeguarding. Operators also cite reduced trip hazards and quicker OSHA walk-through approvals, driving faster sign-off for new mezzanine expansions. Charging infrastructure follows suit. Forklift fast-chargers now feature programmable bays that accommodate both traction batteries and cleaning equipment, eliminating separate electrical circuits. Battery-health telemetry streams cycle counts and internal resistance values to cloud dashboards so that fleet managers can redeploy packs before voltage sag affects suction. Meanwhile, leading OEMs provide swappable modules rated for 3,000 cycles, halving lifetime pack expenditure relative to sealed lead-acid systems. With cobalt-free chemistries sidestepping critical-metal supply disruptions, cordless platforms achieve cost stability at scale, positioning them as a resilient growth vector inside the wider industrial vacuum cleaner market ecosystem. Rise Of Additive Manufacturing Spurs Specialized Powder Handling Vacuum Demand Additive manufacturing lines produce metal powders far finer than those found in legacy machining, prompting new safety and filtration challenges for the industrial vacuum cleaner market. Global metal powder consumption reached 21,000 tons in 2024, driven by aerospace and medical implants that require particle diameters below 45 microns. Such powders oxidize rapidly, so OEMs like SLM Solutions and EOS recommend Class II, Div 1 vacuums featuring inert-gas purge ports and oxygen sensors. These units maintain argon atmospheres during build-chamber clean-outs, preventing pyrophoric events that once plagued early installations. Filtration design is equally specialized. Multi-stage PTFE nanofiber cartridges capture 99.995 percent of particles at 0.3 microns, verified via isokinetic upstream/downstream laser photometer testing. Moreover, fully welded stainless-steel construction resists abrasive wear from titanium and Inconel powders, extending equipment life beyond 10,000 service hours. Production managers appreciate the ability to reclaim unused powder: closed-loop rear-discharge mechanisms now transfer collected material directly into sieving stations, improving material utilization and trimming build-cost variance. As additive facilities grow from pilot cells to full-scale factories, precision-engineered vacuums tailor-made for powder metallurgy become indispensable, adding a vibrant high-margin subsegment to the overarching industrial vacuum cleaner market. Food and Beverage Plants Prioritize Hygienic Design For Safety Assurance The 2024 recall surge within ready-to-eat meals heightened scrutiny on sanitation hardware, refocusing the industrial vacuum cleaner market on hygienic design. The FDA logged 562 sanitation-related deviations across meat, dairy, and confectionery facilities last year, prompting processors to adopt vacuums certified to NSF/ANSI 2 standards. These models feature tool-less filter removal, crevice-free welds, and blue food-grade gaskets that resist fat-based residue. Additionally, automatic filter-shaker cycles run at programmable intervals so that operators never touch contaminated surfaces. Such features not only shorten wash-down shifts but also support continuous improvement audits mandated by GFSI schemes. Allergen control is another decisive driver. Multi-flavor snack lines at Hershey use color-coded cyclone separators that mate with matching floor tools, preventing cross-contact between peanut and non-peanut SKU zones. UV-C inline modules deactivate Listeria monocytogenes within captured moisture droplets, reducing microbiological load before waste disposal. Meanwhile, stainless suction wands stamped with laser-etched serial numbers feed maintenance logs into SAP EAM, enabling root-cause analysis when swab counts exceed control limits. By integrating sanitation best practices into mechanical design, vendors strengthen trust among HACCP teams and secure a defensible niche within the premium tier of the industrial vacuum cleaner market. Service Based Business Models Gain Traction Among OEMs and Users As capital budgets tighten, equipment-as-a-service (EaaS) offerings reshape how end-users engage the industrial vacuum cleaner market. In 2024, Tennant expanded its subscription fleet to 14,500 units across 18 countries, bundling hardware, consumables, and quarterly maintenance into a fixed monthly invoice. Clients gain immediate access to HEPA-grade systems without upfront cash outlay, while OEMs capture steady revenue and post-sale insights. Embedded cellular modems transmit motor-current signatures and filter pressure differentials to service centers, enabling predictive part dispatch that slashes unscheduled downtime by 36 hours per site yearly. Smaller manufacturers leverage regional distributors to replicate this model. Nilfisk's 'Blue Line Access' program now covers 70 U.S. metro areas, offering 48-hour equipment swaps if repairs exceed four hours. Financial executives appreciate the move from cap-ex to op-ex, aligning asset costs with production throughput. Meanwhile, insurers view the telemetry feed as loss-control data, allowing favorable premiums for plants demonstrating proactive housekeeping. The resulting virtuous cycle accelerates platform standardization and locks in brand preference, cementing recurring revenue streams as a pivotal competitive lever inside the industrial vacuum cleaner market. Asia Pacific Supply Chain Realignments Influence Competitive Landscape and Distribution Geopolitical shifts and regional incentives are redrawing the supply map of the industrial vacuum cleaner market. China's share of global industrial vacuum exports dropped below 48 million units in 2024 as buyers diversified toward Vietnam, India, and Mexico. India's Production Linked Incentive scheme for white-goods motors spurred three multinational OEMs to open assembly lines in Pune and Chennai, trimming transit lead time to Southeast Asian customers by 18 days. Simultaneously, Japanese component suppliers such as Nidec invested in localized stator stamping plants, ensuring motor core availability despite maritime disruptions in the Red Sea corridor. Distribution strategies evolve accordingly. To serve ASEAN's dispersed archipelagos, manufacturers partner with 3PL operators offering bonded warehouses and same-day customs clearance, guaranteeing 72-hour delivery of consumables like PTFE cartridges. In Australia, mining contractors now rely on direct‐import programs that pool orders through Brisbane free-trade zones, bypassing traditional distributors and shaving landed costs by US$ 600 per unit. By reconfiguring production nodes and logistics corridors, stakeholders mitigate geopolitical exposure while sustaining responsive after-sales networks, reinforcing Asia Pacific's status as both growth driver and strategic fulcrum for the industrial vacuum cleaner market. Need Custom Data? Let Us Know: Smart Sensors and IoT Analytics Drive Preventive Maintenance Adoption Surge Digitalization has moved from buzzword to baseline requirement in the industrial vacuum cleaner market, with connected units in active service topping 42,000 globally during 2024. Vibration sensors, differential-pressure transducers, and thermal cameras feed data to cloud platforms that compute remaining useful life of bearings and filters. At BASF's Ludwigshafen complex, 310 connected vacuums achieved a mean-time-between-failure of 4,800 hours—nearly double the interval logged by non-instrumented predecessors. Data utility extends beyond uptime. Algorithms correlate motor load with particulate density, alerting EHS teams when unusual spikes may indicate process upset or equipment wear upstream. Facility managers integrate these alerts with CMMS work orders, automatically dispatching technicians and reserving spare parts. Cybersecurity concerns are addressed through MQTT messages tunneled over TLS 1.3 and role-based access controls that segregate plant networks from OEM diagnostic portals. Because insights translate directly into reduced scrap and incident avoidance, end-users increasingly specify IoT-ready hardware during tender evaluations. In doing so, they transform what was once a passive cleaning appliance into a critical node within Industry 4.0 architectures, closing the performance loop for the evolving industrial vacuum cleaner market. Top Companies in the Industrial Vacuum Cleaner Market Alfred Kärcher SE & Co. KG Nilfisk A/S Tennant Company Techtronic Industries Atlas Copco AB Hako GmbH Nederman Holding AB Comac SpA EXAIR Corporation Numatic International Ltd. Other Prominent Players Market Segmentation Overview By Product Type Dry Vacuum Cleaners Wet/Dry Vacuum Cleaners Explosion-Proof Vacuum Cleaners Pneumatic Vacuum Cleaners Central Vacuum Systems (Fastest) By Mode of Operation Electric Powered Corded Battery Operated Pneumatic Powered Air-powered By System Type Portable/Movable Fixed/Stationary By Filtration System Bag Filter HEPA Filter ULPA Filter Cartridge Filter Cyclonic Separator By Application Material Pickup and Dust Removal Surface Cleaning Hazardous Waste Management Metal Chip Removal Floor Cleaning Toxic Dust Removal General Cleaning Others By End-Use Industry Manufacturing Automotive Electronics Aerospace Food & Beverage Pharmaceuticals Construction Chemical & Petrochemical Metalworking Power Generation Oil & Gas Others (e.g., textile, rubber, etc.) By Region North America Europe Asia Pacific Middle East & Africa (MEA) South America Need More Info? Ask Before You Buy: About Astute Analytica Astute Analytica is a global market research and advisory firm providing data-driven insights across industries such as technology, healthcare, chemicals, semiconductors, FMCG, and more. We publish multiple reports daily, equipping businesses with the intelligence they need to navigate market trends, emerging opportunities, competitive landscapes, and technological advancements. With a team of experienced business analysts, economists, and industry experts, we deliver accurate, in-depth, and actionable research tailored to meet the strategic needs of our clients. At Astute Analytica, our clients come first, and we are committed to delivering cost-effective, high-value research solutions that drive success in an evolving marketplace. Contact Us:Astute AnalyticaPhone: +1-888 429 6757 (US Toll Free); +91-0120- 4483891 (Rest of the World)For Sales Enquiries: sales@ Follow us on: LinkedIn | Twitter | YouTube
New Indian Express
30-05-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Trump administration reverses planned closures of 3 dozen US mine safety offices
CHARLESTON, The Trump administration is dropping plans to terminate leases for 34 offices in the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the agency responsible for enforcing mine safety laws, the Department of Labor said Thursday. Earlier this year, the Department of Government Efficiency, created by President Donald Trump and run by Elon Musk, had targeted federal agencies for spending cuts, including terminating leases for three dozen MSHA offices. Seven of those offices were in Kentucky alone. Ending the MSHA leases had been projected to save $18 million. Musk said this week that he's leaving his job as a senior adviser. A statement released by a Labor Department spokesperson Thursday said it has been working closely with the General Services Administration 'to ensure our MSHA inspectors have the resources they need to carry out their core mission to prevent death, illness, and injury from mining and promote safe and healthy workplaces for American miners.' Some MSHA offices are still listed on the chopping block on the DOGE website, but the statement did not indicate whether those closings will move forward. MSHA was created by Congress within the Labor Department in 1978, in part because state inspectors were seen as too close to the industry to force coal companies to take the sometimes costly steps necessary to protect miners. MSHA is required to inspect each underground mine quarterly and each surface mine twice a year.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Kaine says silica standard shouldn't be reversed
U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, D-Va., says he is worried that President Donald Trump may try to weaken recently enacted silica standards that are designed to protect American coal miners. Kaine, who met last week with the Daily Telegraph, said he was alarmed by the recent decision by the Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration to pause enforcement of its final rule to better protect miners from health hazards associated with exposure to silica dust. Kaine said the new silica standards were set during the Biden administration to protect miners from black lung. He, along with U.S. Senator Mark Warner, D-Va., and U.S. Senator John Fetterman, D-Pa., are urging the Trump administration to preserve the Biden era standards. 'The Biden administration did issue a good silica standard,' Kaine said. 'There is some discussion that the Trump administration may try to role that back.' Kaine said the new silica standard will help to protect miners from black lung disease. 'The sad thing is we are seeing more and more young miners get black lung,' Kaine said. The Biden-era silica rule was set after lawmakers spent several years advocating for the updated rule to better protect miners from inhaling toxic chemicals. Joe Manchin, a former U.S. senator from West Virginia, was a part of those earlier discussions. 'I felt like there was a lot of work done to get the standard,' Kaine said, adding that lawmakers have heard 'rumblings' that the coal industry may want the new rule to be rolled back. But doing so would be a mistake, according to Kaine. Silica dust has caused severe black lung disease in young coal miners, according to Kaine. He said lawmakers expect the Mine Safety and Health Administration to begin enforcement of the new rule no later than their August 18 deadline. Black lung is caused and exacerbated by long-term inhalation of coal and silica dust. For many retired miners, black lung disease can be deadly and debilitating. Kaine also is questioning the recent decision by the Department of Government Efficiency, which is led by Elon Musk, to close 35 Mine Safety and Health Administration field offices. Kaine, Warner and Fetterman are seeking information from DOGE and the Trump administration on how the office closures will impact personnel and the inspection of underground mines. Kaine said the DOGE cuts will undermine the progress that has been made over the last 50 years to ensure the health and safety of coal miners. Kaine, Warner and Fetterman also have introduced legislation aimed at reforming black lung benefits. The goal of that legislation is to speed up access to claims and benefits under the Black Lung Benefits Program. 'Just the procedures for making a claim, speeding up the process for getting a determination of a claim,' Kaine said. 'You have miners who get black lung and they are in the process (of benefit claims) for multiple years.' Contact Charles Owens at cowens@
Reuters
22-04-2025
- Health
- Reuters
As Trump eyes coal revival, his job cuts hobble black lung protections for miners
OAK HILL, West Virginia, April 21 (Reuters) - Josh Cochran worked deep in the coal mines of West Virginia since he was 22 years old, pulling a six-figure salary that allowed him to buy a home with his wife Stephanie and hunt and fish in his spare time. That ended two years ago when, at the age of 43, he was diagnosed with advanced black lung disease. He's now waiting for a lung transplant, breathes with the help of an oxygen tank, and needs help from his wife to do basic tasks around the house. His saving grace, he says, is that he can still earn a living. A federal program run by the Mine Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health called Part 90 meant he was relocated from underground when he got his diagnosis to a desk job dispatching coal trucks to the same company, retaining his pay. "Part 90 - that's only the thing you got," he told Reuters while signing a stack of documents needed for the transplant, a simple task that left him winded. "You can come out from underground, make what you made, and then they can't just get rid of you." That program, which relocates coal miners diagnosed with black lung to safer jobs at the same pay - along with a handful of others intended to protect the nation's coal miners from the resurgence of black lung - is grinding to a halt due to mass layoffs and office closures imposed by President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, according to Reuters reporting. Reuters interviews with more than a dozen people involved in medical programs serving the coal industry, and a review of internal documents from NIOSH, show that at least three such federal programs have stopped their work in recent weeks. A decades-old program operated by NIOSH to detect lung disease in coal miners, for example, has been suspended. Related programs to provide x-rays and lung tests at mine sites have also shut down and it is now unclear who will enforce safety regulations like new limits on silica dust exposure after nearly half of the offices of MSHA are under review to have their leases terminated. The details about the black lung programs halted by the government's mass layoffs and funding cuts have not previously been reported. "It's going to be devastating to miners," said Anita Wolfe, a 40-year NIOSH veteran who remains in touch with the agency. "Nobody is going to be monitoring the mines." The cuts come as Trump voices support for the domestic coal industry, a group that historically has supported the president. At a White House ceremony flanked by coal workers in hard hats earlier this month, Trump signed executive orders meant to boost the industry, including by prolonging the life of aging coal-fired power plants. "For too long, coal has been a dirty word that most are afraid to speak about," said Jeff Crowe, who Trump identified as a West Virginia miner. Crowe is the superintendent of American Consolidated Natural Resources, successor to Murray Energy. "We're going to put the miners back to work," Trump said during the ceremony. "They are great people, with great families, and come from areas of the country that we love and we really respect." Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees NIOSH, said that streamlining government will better position HHS to carry out its Congressionally mandated work protecting Americans. Courtney Parella, a spokesperson for the Department of Labor said MSHA inspectors "continue to carry out their core mission to protect the health and safety of America's miners." Black lung has been on the rise over the last two decades, and has increasingly been reported by young workers in their 30s and 40s despite declining coal production. NIOSH estimates that 20% of coal miners in Central Appalachia now suffer from some form of black lung disease, the highest rate that has been detected in 25 years, as workers in the aging mines blast through rock to reach diminishing coal seams. Around 43,000 people are employed by the coal industry, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. MORE MINING, MORE RISK Around 875 of NIOSH's roughly 1,000-strong workforce across the country were terminated amid sweeping job cuts announced by HHS this month, according to three sources who worked for NIOSH. That's put the department's flagship black lung program, the Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program, on hold, according to an internal NIOSH email dated April 4. "We will continue to process everything we currently have for as long as we can. We have no further information about the future of CWHSP at this time," the email says. The CWHSP's regular black lung screenings, which deploy mobile trailers to coal mines to test coal miners on site have ended too, because there's no money to fuel the vehicles or epidemiologists to review the on-site x-rays or lung tests, according to sources familiar with the program. For many miners, this program is the sole provider of medical checkups, according to NIOSH veteran Wolfe. The loss of staff at NIOSH has also crippled black lung-afflicted miners' ability to get relocated with pay as part of the Part 90 program. Miners can only become eligible for the Part 90 benefit by submitting lung x-rays to NIOSH that show black lung. But all NIOSH epidemiologists in West Virginia required to review the x-rays were laid off, according to Scott Laney, who lost his job as an epidemiologist. Laney told Reuters he and his fellow laid-off team have been working in an informal "war room" in his living room to try to draw attention to the issue among Washington lawmakers. "I want to make sure that if there are more men who are going into the mines as a result of an executive order, or whatever the mechanism, they should be protected when they do their work," he said. Sam Petsonk, a West Virginia attorney who represents black lung patients, said relocating sick miners is crucial because the risks of continuing to work in dust-heavy areas while ill are so severe. "It gets to the point that days and months matter for this program," he said. SILICA THREAT Last year, MSHA finalized a new regulation that would cut by half the permissible exposure limit to crystalline silica for miners and other workers – an attempt to combat the rising rates of black lung, opens new tab. Enforcing that rule, which comes into force in August after being pushed back from April by the Trump administration, may prove difficult given the staff cuts and planned office closures at MSHA, said Chris Williamson, a former Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health under the Biden administration. He told Reuters that before he left MSHA in January, there were 20 mine inspector positions unfilled. A pipeline of 90 people that had already secured MSHA inspector job offers, meanwhile, had their offers rescinded after Trump took office, and around 120 other people took buyouts. Mine inspectors are meant to uphold safety standards that reduce injuries, deaths and illnesses at the mines. That loss of staff and resources raises the likelihood that black lung could become even more pervasive among Appalachian coal miners – particularly if mining activity increases, said Drew Harris, a black lung specialist in southern Virginia. "As someone who sees hundreds of miners with this devastating disease it's hard for me to swallow cutting back on the resources meant to prevent it," he said. Kevin Weikle, a 35-year-old miner in West Virginia who was diagnosed with advanced black lung disease during a screening in 2023, said the cuts make no sense at a time the administration wants to see coal output rise and will set back safety standards by decades. "Don't get me wrong, I mean, I'm Republican," Weikle said. "But I think there are smarter ways to produce more coal and not gut safety."
Zawya
21-04-2025
- Health
- Zawya
As Trump eyes coal revival, his job cuts hobble black lung protections for miners
Josh Cochran worked deep in the coal mines of West Virginia since he was 22 years old, pulling a six-figure salary that allowed him to buy a home with his wife Stephanie and hunt and fish in his spare time. That ended two years ago when, at the age of 43, he was diagnosed with advanced black lung disease. He's now waiting for a lung transplant, breathes with the help of an oxygen tank, and needs help from his wife to do basic tasks around the house. His saving grace, he says, is that he can still earn a living. A federal program run by the Mine Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health called Part 90 meant he was relocated from underground when he got his diagnosis to a desk job dispatching coal trucks to the same company, retaining his pay. "Part 90 - that's only the thing you got," he told Reuters while signing a stack of documents needed for the transplant, a simple task that left him winded. "You can come out from underground, make what you made, and then they can't just get rid of you." That program, which relocates coal miners diagnosed with black lung to safer jobs at the same pay - along with a handful of others intended to protect the nation's coal miners from the resurgence of black lung - is grinding to a halt due to mass layoffs and office closures imposed by President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, according to Reuters reporting. Reuters interviews with more than a dozen people involved in medical programs serving the coal industry, and a review of internal documents from NIOSH, show that at least three such federal programs have stopped their work in recent weeks. A decades-old program operated by NIOSH to detect lung disease in coal miners, for example, has been suspended. Related programs to provide x-rays and lung tests at mine sites have also shut down and it is now unclear who will enforce safety regulations like new limits on silica dust exposure after nearly half of the offices of MSHA were slated to have their leases terminated. The details about the black lung programs halted by the government's mass layoffs and funding cuts have not previously been reported. "It's going to be devastating to miners," said Anita Wolfe, a 40-year NIOSH veteran who remains in touch with the agency. "Nobody is going to be monitoring the mines." The cuts come as Trump voices support for the domestic coal industry, a group that historically has supported the president. At a White House ceremony flanked by coal workers in hard hats earlier this month, Trump signed executive orders meant to boost the industry, including by prolonging the life of aging coal-fired power plants. "For too long, coal has been a dirty word that most are afraid to speak about," said Jeff Crowe, who Trump identified as a West Virginia miner. Crowe is the superintendent of American Consolidated Natural Resources, successor to Murray Energy. "We're going to put the miners back to work," Trump said during the ceremony. "They are great people, with great families, and come from areas of the country that we love and we really respect." Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees NIOSH, said that streamlining government will better position HHS to carry out its Congressionally mandated work protecting Americans. Representatives for MSHA and the White House did not respond to requests for comment. Black lung has been on the rise over the last two decades, and has increasingly been reported by young workers in their 30s and 40s despite declining coal production. NIOSH estimates that 20% of coal miners in Central Appalachia now suffer from some form of black lung disease, the highest rate that has been detected in 25 years, as workers in the aging mines blast through rock to reach diminishing coal seams. Around 43,000 people are employed by the coal industry, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. MORE MINING, MORE RISK Around 875 of NIOSH's roughly 1,000-strong workforce across the country were terminated amid sweeping job cuts announced by HHS this month, according to three sources who worked for NIOSH. That's put the department's flagship black lung program, the Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program, on hold, according to an internal NIOSH email dated April 4. "We will continue to process everything we currently have for as long as we can. We have no further information about the future of CWHSP at this time," the email says. The CWHSP's regular black lung screenings, which deploy mobile trailers to coal mines to test coal miners on site have ended too, because there's no money to fuel the vehicles or epidemiologists to review the on-site x-rays or lung tests, according to sources familiar with the program. For many miners, this program is the sole provider of medical checkups, according to NIOSH veteran Wolfe. The loss of staff at NIOSH has also crippled black lung-afflicted miners' ability to get relocated with pay as part of the Part 90 program. Miners can only become eligible for the Part 90 benefit by submitting lung x-rays to NIOSH that show black lung. But all NIOSH epidemiologists in West Virginia required to review the x-rays were laid off, according to Scott Laney, who lost his job as an epidemiologist. Laney told Reuters he and his fellow laid-off team have been working in an informal "war room" in his living room to try to draw attention to the issue among Washington lawmakers. "I want to make sure that if there are more men who are going into the mines as a result of an executive order, or whatever the mechanism, they should be protected when they do their work," he said. Sam Petsonk, a West Virginia attorney who represents black lung patients, said relocating sick miners is crucial because the risks of continuing to work in dust-heavy areas while ill are so severe. "It gets to the point that days and months matter for this program," he said. SILICA THREAT Last year, MSHA finalized a new regulation that would cut by half the permissible exposure limit to crystalline silica for miners and other workers – an attempt to combat the rising rates of black lung. Enforcing that rule, which comes into force in August after being pushed back from April by the Trump administration, may prove difficult given the staff cuts and planned office closures at MSHA, said Chris Williamson, a former Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health under the Biden administration. He told Reuters that before he left MSHA in January, there were 20 mine inspector positions unfilled. A pipeline of 90 people that had already secured MSHA inspector job offers, meanwhile, had their offers rescinded after Trump took office, and around 120 other people took buyouts. Mine inspectors are meant to uphold safety standards that reduce injuries, deaths and illnesses at the mines. That loss of staff and resources raises the likelihood that black lung could become even more pervasive among Appalachian coal miners – particularly if mining activity increases, said Drew Harris, a black lung specialist in southern Virginia. "As someone who sees hundreds of miners with this devastating disease it's hard for me to swallow cutting back on the resources meant to prevent it," he said. Kevin Weikle, a 35-year-old miner in West Virginia who was diagnosed with advanced black lung disease during a screening in 2023, said the cuts make no sense at a time the administration wants to see coal output rise and will set back safety standards by decades. "Don't get me wrong, I mean, I'm Republican," Weikle said. "But I think there are smarter ways to produce more coal and not gut safety." (Reporting by Valerie Volcovici; Editing by Richard Valdmanis and Anna Driver)
