Application of the Delphi method to reduce disability and mortality from coal mine dust lung disease in China; a new approach to an old problem

Cui et al report on the application of the Delphi method to identify prevention strategies for coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP) in China.1 The Delphi method is a systematic iterative process that engages a panel of experts in revising and ranking proposed criteria to arrive at a consensus.2 This method has been applied internationally to guide the setting of occupational health and safety research.3 Cui et al applied this approach to ranking and grouping 69 indicators that impact CWP risk, such as ventilation and physical characteristics of the coal seam, in four Chinese state-owned coal mining enterprises. They found that the highest ranked factors for preventing and controlling CWP were ‘geological conditions’ and ‘dust control engineering technology’. Surprisingly, these factors ranked higher than occupational health management. The authors’ findings suggest that setting occupational disease prevention strategies, such as regulating permissible coal mine dust exposure levels,...

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