Background.
Dust exposure and its related harmful effects on miners is a serious health issue.
Objectives.
The present study was undertaken to identify respirable dust concentrations and free silica content in 24 dust samples collected from a limestone mine during pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons.
Methods.
Time-weighted average (TWA) dust concentrations were calculated for 8-hour work shifts followed by determination of free silica concentration using the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy technique.
Results.
The TWA dust concentration for personal and area dust samples during September 2013 was found to be in the range of 0.32–1.04 mg/m
3
and 0.25–0.54 mg/m
3
, respectively. For February 2014, the TWA dust concentration was between 0.62–1.23 mg/m
3
for personal samples and 1.04–2.64 mg/m
3
for area samples. Samples collected in February 2014 had marginally higher values of dust levels in the air of the mine compared to September 2013. The highest dust concentration was found to be 1.23 mg/m
3
for a drill operator and 2.64 mg/m
3
at the crusher belt conveyor junction. The average free silica percent for the samples collected in February 2014 was 1.73%, which was almost double compared to September 2013 (0.87%).
Conclusions.
In both seasons, personal dust samples had higher free silica content than area dust samples. Even though dust concentrations were below the permissible limit, workers had widely different exposures, hence many of them may be at risk of pneumoconiosis when exposure is prolonged.
Participant Consent.
Obtained
Competing Interests.
The authors declare no competing financial interests.
Background:Noise mapping being an established practice in Europe is hardly practiced for noise management in India although it is mandatory in Indian mines as per guidelines of the Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS). As a pilot study, noise mapping was conducted in an opencast mine with three different models; one based on the baseline operating conditions in two shifts (Situation A), and two other virtual situations where either production targets were enhanced by extending working hours to three shifts (Situation B) or only by increased mechanization and not changing the duration of work (Situation C).Methods:Noise sources were categorized as point, line, area, and moving sources. Considering measured power of the sources, specific meteorological and geographical parameters, noise maps were generated using Predictor LimA software.Results:In all three situations, Lden values were 95 dB(A) and 70–80 dB(A) near drill machine and haul roads, respectively. Noise contours were wider in Situation C due to increase in frequency of dumpers. Lden values near Shovel 1 and Shovel 2 under Situation B increased by 5 dB and 3 dB, respectively due to expansion of working hours. In Situation C, noise levels were >82 dB(A) around shovels. Noise levels on both sides of conveyor belts were in the range of 80–85 dB(A) in Situations A and C whereas it was 85–90 dB(A) in Situation B. Near crusher plants, it ranged from 80 to 90 dB(A) in Situations A and C and between 85 and 95 dB(A) in Situation B. In all situations, noise levels near residential areas exceeded the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) limits, i.e., 55 dB(A).Conclusions:For all situations, predicted noise levels exceeded CPCB limits within the mine and nearby residential area. Residential areas near the crusher plants are vulnerable to increased noise propagation. It is recommended to put an acoustic barrier near the crusher plant to attenuate the noise propagation.
Equipment-induced vibration is widely recognized as a health hazard. It is a physical stressor to which many people are exposed at workplace. Mining industry is no exception. In spite of extensive research undertaken in the developed countries, information on the magnitude of the problem in India is not available. An estimated 1 million workers were engaged in the Indian mining industry in the year 2003. The actual figures could be much higher. Analysis of employees' database of several mines reveals that 18% employees in the Indian mining industry are occupationally exposed to vibration. Large-scale mechanization considerably adds to the severity and complexity of the problem because of 1) increase in the percentage of exposed population and 2) longer duration of exposure. The clinical picture and health outcomes of exposure to hand-arm vibration and whole-body vibration are scantily documented in the Indian context. In view of the health risk and action taken in other countries, we submit that there is an urgent need to develop a practical management strategy for evaluation, monitoring and control of equipment-induced vibration in the mining industry.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.