What is the International Pneumoconiosis Observatory?
The International Observatory of Pneumoconiosis is an international network of researchers and academics created in 2023, headquartered in Santiago, Chile. It is not a public body or a health agency: it is a non-profit scientific cooperation network that brings together specialists from different countries around a specific occupational health problem: pneumoconiosis.
Its scope is broad within that specific object: it coordinates the participation of researchers and academics from more than twenty countries in America, with a presence also in Europe and Asia, which makes it one of the few networks specifically focused on occupational lung diseases.
What are pneumoconiosis?
Pneumoconioses are chronic lung diseases caused by the inhalation and deposition of mineral dust in lung tissue. The most relevant in the workplace are silicosis, caused by the inhalation of respirable crystalline silica present in mining, quarrying, construction, or the manufacture of quartz countertops, and asbestosis, caused by exposure to asbestos fibers. These are irreversible diseases that develop slowly and are closely linked to cumulative occupational exposure.
Its diagnosis relies primarily on chest X-ray interpretation following standardized criteria. For decades, the International Labour Organization has maintained an international classification of pneumoconiosis X-rays, last revised in 2022, which establishes a common language for describing the extent and shape of pulmonary opacities and serves as the standard technical reference for training X-ray interpreters—the same activity that the Observatory claims to promote among the clinical teams in its network.
Purpose and scope of action
The Observatory’s stated purpose is to reduce the impact of pneumoconiosis through scientific cooperation, training, and accessible knowledge. Its activities take place throughout the Americas, with the participation of researchers from countries such as Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and the United States, and also extend to some countries in Europe and Asia.
Functions and main lines of work
The Observatory organizes its activity along several lines.
- Evidence generation. Investigates and collects data on exposure to pneumoconiogenic dusts in mining, construction and other sectors, and publishes the results in scientific articles.
- Open access publications. Maintains a repository of freely accessible technical reports, clinical guidelines, and training materials.
- Clinical training. Trains clinical teams in radiographic reading of pneumoconiosis, following standardized classification criteria.
- Support for exposed workers. It offers workers information about their labor rights and ways to access healthcare.
- Institutional and public policy dialogue. Participate in the debate on occupational health standards before institutions and administrations.
The Treatise on Pneumoconiosis in the Americas
The Observatory is promoting the development of a treatise on pneumoconiosis in the Americas, a technical reference publication project involving approximately 140 researchers from various disciplines, including pulmonology, occupational medicine, radiology, and toxicology. The project addresses topics such as silicosis, asbestosis, mesothelioma, nanoparticle exposure, and the use of diagnostic imaging and artificial intelligence tools in radiographic interpretation.
The Observatory also maintains an agreement with the Public Health Institute of Chile, which frames part of its evidence generation and training activity in the country where it is based.
Contribution to safety and health at work
The Observatory’s contribution to occupational safety and health (OSH) is primarily knowledge-based and provides clinical support, not direct health surveillance. It does not replace the health surveillance programs that each company or national system must guarantee for workers exposed to pneumoconiotic dusts, nor does it have inspection or occupational health examination functions. Its added value lies in generating comparative evidence between countries, training specialists in radiographic interpretation—a scarce resource in many Latin American health systems—and disseminating open-access knowledge to workers and employers.
Relationship with the ORP International Foundation
The International Observatory of Pneumoconiosis brings to the institutional advisory committee of the International ORP Foundation a very narrow research profile: it is an international network of researchers created in 2023, based in Santiago, Chile, dedicated to generating and disseminating evidence on a specific family of occupational diseases, pneumoconiosis, and to supporting workers exposed to mineral dust.
Practical application
For occupational health and safety professionals working in sectors with exposure to silica or asbestos, the Observatory is an open-access source of training materials and technical criteria for radiographic interpretation. For exposed workers, it is a channel for information about their rights and access to healthcare, complementing the resources they are entitled to through their employment and their country’s healthcare system.
