Helpful tips on developing a dust management system in mines

Dust is one of the biggest problems on construction sites. It gets into every single crack and crevice imaginable. It can cause serious discomfort and long term health damage when inhaled or if it gets into the eyes. With the constant flurry of machinery and workers doing their jobs, dust will constantly become airborne if the necessary precautions are not taken.

Especially in environments such as mining, there will be a lot of dust due to the drilling and rocky environment. This makes it doubly important that proper dust suppression systems and erosion control products are put into place on the site. The last thing you want to do is compromise your own or your workers health. Once the systems are in place, they are fairly straightforward to carry out and they don’t need much training.

The difference however will be massive, on productivity, workers happiness and even save money as a result. Machinery won’t need to be replaced as often due to dust no longer getting into the components of the machine. Here are some great tips to keep in mind when dealing with dust on a mining site.

Utilise all the available methods of dust control

There are a few different key components when it comes to dust control. The best way to reduce and combat airborne dust in a mining environment is to ventilate the area to begin with so the current airborne dust has a place to go and air can come and replace the dusty regions. Then the area should be sprayed with a solution of water and a relevant cleaning product that has been specifically designed for dust suppression. Excess piles and areas of dust should be properly collected and disposed of. Finally, practices should be put in place that will combat the upheaval of dust in the first place, making it a more welcoming working environment.

Using sprays

Always focus on using sprays to uniformly wet the area as opposed to trying to pick out certain spots. It can be easy to miss problem areas when not using uniform area and it will take more time in the long run as you will be constantly going over new spots. Using a strong water pressure will lead to better results. You can even use foams during the process as they have shown to be very effective when it comes to dust prevention and suppression.