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SHORT NOTES ON DGMS OH(Tech) Circular No.04 of 2024

DGMS/OH/(Tech) Circular No. 04 of 2024

Acceptance of Digital Radiography in Statutory Medical Examination of Mine employees conducted under Mines Rule 29 F of 1955.

Purpose of Chest Radiographs:

Essential for detecting dust-induced lung diseases (e.g.,

pneumoconiosis) in miners.

Conventional film screen radiograph (FSR) currently used in

statutory exams like PME/IME.

Based on DGMS Circular No. DGMS (Tech.) No.04 of 2007,

referencing ILO classification (ILO Radiograph 2000 standard).

Shift to Digital Radiography (DR):

Digital radiographs (DR) using medical-grade monitors are

becoming dominant in clinical/public health.

FSR still widely used, but digital is growing due to its advantages.

Limitations of Conventional Radiography:

Fixed dose latitude and non-linear grey scale limit data capture.

No contrast adjustment after processing.

Film drawbacks:

Expensive

Uses hazardous chemicals

Labour-intensive

Difficult long-term storage/retrieval

Not compatible with PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication

Systems)

ILO Guidelines:

Standardizes interpretation of chest radiographs for pneumoconiosis diagnosis.

Requires side-by-side comparison with standard/prototypical

images.

Helps classify severity of dust-induced lung abnormalities using a

fixed set of ILO reference images.