Workplace Safety and Health: An Investigative Reporters Experience - - PDF document

Workplace Safety and Health: An Investigative Reporter’s Experience

Howard Berkes Correspondent, Investigations (retired) hberkes@sisna.com

I HAVE NOTHING TO DISCLOSE

Howard Berkes Correspondent, Investigations (retired)

Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster April 5, 2010

Mine helmets and painted crosses at the entrance to Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch coal mine, as a memorial to the 29 miners killed there. Jeff Gentner/AP

Coal Coal Mi Miner ners Kille Killed at at Upper Upper Bi Big Br Branch anch

Governor's Independent Investigation Panel Report

• n the Upper Big Branch Mine Explosion

May 2011

• 24 – sufficient lung tissue for autopsy

examination

• 17 – positive for black lung disease
• 71% ‐ rate of disease among victims
• 7.6% ‐ rate of disease in West Virginia
• 25 to 61 – age range of victims with

black lung

Robert Cohen, MD, F.C.C.P., Director Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Cook County Health and Hospitals System; Chairman, Division of Pulmonary Medicine/Critical Care, Stroger Hospital

• f Cook County, Chicago, Illinois

David Deal for NPR

FI FINDIN INGS ‐ 2012: 12:

• Black lung rate doubled in the last decade
• PMF quadrupled in central Appalachia

since the 1980’s

• Coal production quadrupled 1970‐2000

and still triple in 2010

• More than 100 cases of documented

fraudulent coal mine dust sampling 1980‐ 2002

• Only 2,400 citations in 53,000 violations
• f dust standards 2000‐2011
• Miners diagnosed younger with rapid

progression of disease Sources: NIOSH; MSHA data analyzed by NPR/CPI

THE THE EPIDE EPIDEMIC IC

• NIOSH: 99 cases of PMF nationwide in five years
• NPR: Now more than 2,000 cases in the same time frame in central

Appalachia alone

• NIOSH: Tests/counts only working miners
• NPR: Counted laid‐off/retired miners diagnosed at black lung clinics

and reported by medical and legal clinics in NPR survey

• NIOSH: Testing/counting limited by law. Limitations noted in studies
• NPR: No legal limitations. No government agency framework.

Governed by journalistic rigor and ethics.

Benny Becker for Ohio Valley ReSource/NPR Howard Berkes/NPR

THE THE ANECD ANECDOTAL LE LEAD AD

A main character whose experience helps illustrate data, trends and findings

• Featured in the story
• The human face and voice of the

investigation

• It can be challenging for

listeners/readers/viewers to keep track of multiple characters

• A few other characters may also

appear to help underscore key points Howard Berkes/NPR

THE THE CASE CASE SERIE SERIES

• NIOSH: 19 miners with PMF at 3 affiliated black lung clinics in SW VA
• NPR/Ohio Valley ReSource: 34 miners with PMF from 8 black lung legal, medical & pulmonary

rehab clinics in PA, VA and WV

• NIOSH: A team of epidemiologists & mining engineering experts
• NPR/OVR: Two reporters & an assistant for most clinics. 1 reporter for others.
• NIOSH: Reviewed medical records & verified diagnoses
• NPR/OVR: Clinics verified diagnoses. Some miners shared medical records. Some provided

detailed documentation of work histories.

• NIOSH: Miners anonymous. No info gathered on the coal companies employing them
• NPR/OVR: One miner anonymous. Others ‐ permission to use names/voices/images. Work

histories included coal companies.

• NIOSH: Scientific rigor
• NPR: Journalistic rigor

The The NPR NPR ANAL ANALYSIS IS (30 (30 ye years of

• f da

data): ):

• 21,000 dust samples (15%) exceeded the silica exposure limit
• 52,000 samples exceeded a tougher silica standard NIOSH has

recommended repeatedly since the 1970’s

• Silica dust is indirectly regulated. Excessive silica dust forces coal

mines to reduce exposure to overall coal mine dust

• But even after that, 9,000 samples still had excessive silica
• MSHA citations for excessive silica said 9,000 miners were affected
• Despite this data, and what MSHA identified as a cluster of “silicosis”

in coal miners in the mid‐1990’s, the agency did not respond, then or since

NIOSH CASE SERIES HIGHLIGHTS:

• 18 of the 19 miners reported cutting rock during their careers
• 13 reported a substantial amount of rock was cut
• 6 said their mining machines cut through pure rock for as much as 3

months

• 14 said the mines were not consistently ventilated with air that

sweeps away dust

• 13 reported mining company cheating on dust sampling
• Miner #10: “…they’re cuttin’ rock everywhere, and it’s just … the

silica … It’s just unreal. You can’t breathe it.”

THE THE TA TAKEAWAY AY

• Occupational/environmental health investigations can benefit from

both scientific and journalistic approaches

• The findings can be complementary
• Journalists can move more quickly and can humanize data and

documents in compelling ways

• Scientists bring scientific rigor
• Journalists can reach more people more quickly – including people

who can act – lawmakers, politicians, advocacy groups, regulators and researchers

• So…it pays to talk to journalists. Guide them. Share your work.

ABPM ABPM Qu Questio tion 1: 1: In

Investig igative re reporters and and occup

• ccupational

al and and en envir vironmental healt health “detec etective tives" s" shar share the the follo llowing char characteristic ics ex except pt:

• A. A commitment to worker safety and health
• B. A commitment to unearthing provable facts and presenting reliable

data

• C. An ability to instantaneously reach millions of people with

investigative results

• D. A commitment to investigative findings that adhere to professional

requirements for accuracy, fairness and independence ABPM ABPM Ques Question

• n 2:

2:

Investig igativ ive re reporting ca can co cont ntri ribute te posi positiv tively ly to to al all of

• f th

the follo llowing in in occupa

• ccupation

tional sa safety and and heal health th exc except:

• A. Spur regulatory action
• B. Inspire health care providers to get involved
• C. Set legal precedent
• D. Inform legislative initiatives

ABPM ABPM Ques Question

• n 3:

3:

Cooper

• operatio

ion be between een investig igativ ive re reporters and and en environmen ental heal health th de detectiv tectives es ma may re result in in th the follo llowing bene benefi fits ts exc except

• A. Lower costs and fewer hours devoted to research, analysis and

publication

• B. More accurate stories in news media
• C. More people in more places being aware of the research
• D. Attention that could lead to requests for more research

Workplace Safety and Health: An Investigative Reporter’s Experience

Howard Berkes Correspondent, Investigations (retired) hberkes@sisna.com