Longwall methods have obvious benefits, but dust is a problem

Journal Article · Mon Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1979 · Mine Saf. Health; (United States)

OSTI ID:5629886

This article discusses respirable dust studies conducted by MSHA on longwall mining operations in 1972 and 1978. During the 1972 study, the average high-risk occupational exposure on, plow, single, and double drum shearer operations was 3.1, 3.2, and 5.2 mg/m/sup 3/ of air. The average exposure of the jacksetter was 3.4, 2.0, and 2.4 mg/m/sup 3/ of air for plow, single and double drum shearer operations. The 1978 study showed average occupational exposures on plow and single-drum shearer operations to be below 2.0 mg/m/sup 3/ of air; however, the average high-risk occupational exposure still exceeded the standard. Both engineering and administrative controls are being used to keep respirable dust exposures to a minimum today. The three principal engineering controls are: ventilation, water application, and use of machine-cutting parameters. Face ventilating air is the main means of deluting and removing respirable dust on longwall mining operations. An increasing number of longwall operations in the United States use shield-type roof supports. Water application, applied through sprays, is the main method of suppressing dust on longwall mining operations in the United States. The most widely used administrative control is the modified cutting sequence. Cutting is primarily in one direction. This cutting sequence permits the roof supports and face conveyor to be advanced on the intake-air side of the shearer, allowing face workers to work on the intake-air side of the shearer. Today several Federally-funded research projects are underway to: improve shrouded sprays, to reduce dust levels, to study the feasibility of remote controls, to optimize wet head systems, and to identify and quantify the sources of respirable dust on a double-ended ranging drum shearer panel. (DS)

• OSTI ID: 5629886
• Journal Information: Mine Saf. Health; (United States), Journal Name: Mine Saf. Health; (United States) Vol. 4:5; ISSN MSHED
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
012000* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Mining
016000 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Health & Safety
500200 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
CUTTING
DUSTS
ENGINEERED SAFETY SYSTEMS
ENGINEERING
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LONGWALL MINING
MACHINE TOOLS
MACHINING
MINING
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
SAFETY
SPRAYS
UNDERGROUND MINING
VENTILATION
WATER