Why dust control is vital to miners's health
Dust is often generated during the transportation of minerals on conveyors and through transfer chutes
Dust has long been a health hazard in mines where metals and metalloids are carried in atmospheric dust exposing workers to toxic contaminants.
In particular, the smaller particles of around 0,3 micron in size have the most serious impact on human health, says Izak Potgieter of Weba Chute Systems. Dust from minerals such as coal, silica and other finely powdered materials can damage the lungs and air passages.
“The Occupational Health and Safety (OSH) Act therefore specifies certain dust exposure limits, so that mines can measure and control dust, to ensure that levels are managed,” says Potgieter. “Health and safety officers monitor this on a regular basis as part of their compliance standards.”
He notes that dust is often generated during the transportation of minerals on conveyors and through transfer chutes. Measuring dust at these sources can be done using a handheld dust meter, typically gathering data in 30 second intervals with 0,003 split seconds per measurement. The data from this process can then be profiled into a scatter plot, considering factors like lump size, belt speed, relative humidity, wet-bulb temperature, wind conditions and material type.
“The lump size of the material being moved is usually a key factor affecting dust levels,” he says. “To understand the levels of dust being produced, data on the size and material type needs to be collected and analysed.”
The speed of conveyor belts will also affect the dust levels, Potgieter says, depending on the tonnage per hour traveling through the chute. Reducing the dangers of dust in this environment requires better flow control of the moving material, including velocity and impact on conveyors and in
Comments
Research Reports
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
Weir Minerals Europe, Middle East and Africa is a global supplier of excellent minerals solutions, including pumps, valves, hydrocyclones,...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Booyco Electronics, South African pioneer of Proximity Detection Systems, offers safety solutions for underground and surface mining, quarrying,...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
