[Ergonomics in the context of mining]. / L'ergonomie dans le contexte minier.

After a short historical account of ergonomics, the speaker exposes its objectives: amelioration of working conditions, elimination of tasks that are beyond the worker's abilities, search for working norms and conditions according to men's needs and aspirations. He then enlarges on the ergonomical methods: measure and quantification of tasks, reckoning of the working situation in its whole, multi-disciplinary approach and thus necessity to set up teams, participation of the workers concerned. He stresses that the iron and steel industry and the mining industry have taken a leading part in ergonomics and that this part has been amplified by the support of the departments of the European Communities.

[Current progress and new or unrecognized risks in occupational respiratory pathology. Pneumoconiosis in coal miners. Epidemiologic and experimental approach]. / Progrès récents et risques nouveaux ou méconnus en pathologie respiratoire professionnelle. Les pneumoconioses du mineur de charbon. Approches épidémiologiques et expérimentales.

In a brief historical review the author shows that the delayed recognition of coal miners pneumoconiosis as an independent nosological entity was mainly due to an insufficiently experimentally orientated approach before 1940. The principal characteristics of the french endemic are described: a slow decline in incidence yet a continued elevated prevalence, due to the increased life span of the sufferers; the late appearance of the first radiological manifestations, most often after the working life of a Miner; a disparity of the endemic levels between mining regions without the reasons being fully elucidated. Finally the principal lines of current research are recalled which take account of new data on epidemiology and modern dust analysis processes as well as information collected in man using recent biological techniques.

[Ergonomics in the industrial environment and ergonomic community activities of the European Coal and Steel Community]. / L'ergonomie en milieu industriel et l'action communautaire ergonomique C.E.C.A.

The author stresses the permanent evolution of the working conditions in the industry. He pays a particular attention to the changes which were experienced in this regard since two decades in the coal mines. The ergonomist tries to give an impartial answer to the new problems by means of a scientific approach in order to help those who are responsible for the social and technical progress. The author reminds the principles of this approach. He analyses the definition of ergonomics and shows how this discipline may be applied in the coal mines. He reminds the important role played in this regard by the ECCS, and the realizations which could be performed in the coal industry as well. A comment on the objectives and means of the 4th research ergonomic programme of the European Communities is presented.