Mine Dust

and

Mine Gases
Their Sources and Control
Presented By:
Ali Bux Wassan (12MN65)
Under kind supervision of:

Sir, Saeed Ahmed Memon Sb.

Mine Dust-

its sources and control

Introduction:

Throughout the mining and processing of

minerals, the mined ore undergoes a number
of crushing, grinding, cleaning, drying, and
product sizing operations as it is processed
into a marketable commodity.

These operations are highly mechanized, and both

individually and collectively these processes can
generate large amounts of dust.
If control technologies are inadequate, hazardous
levels of respirable dust may be liberated into the
work environment, potentially exposing workers.
Accordingly, federal regulations are in place to limit
the respirable dust exposure of mine workers.

Engineering controls are implemented in

mining operations in an effort to reduce
dust generation and limit worker exposure.

Dust Control In Any Mine Is A

Large Complex Problem
Dust can cause health related issues whether
it is a short acute related health problem or
a long term systemic problem like silicosis.
Prevention of dust is everyones problem. We
all breath the same air, if we dont take care
of it. In other words: It can kill you.

Why Can Dust Get So Bad Here?

Fact: Major dust compliance problems in hard

rock mines is caused by silica (quartz) in the rock.
Mines high in silica content rock, 8% or more, are
far more likely to have dust problems than those
where there is less silica.
Fact: On average the rock in this mine is 40%
silica content. Depending where you mine it can
go higher.
Fact: Exposure to silica dust can cause silicosis.

Major Source of Dust Generation

Blasting
Mucking & Haulage
Drilling & Bolting
Ore passes
Crushers
Conveyors Systems
Backfill Process
Road Headers
Shotcreting
Fresh Intake Mine Dust

Control Measures for Correction

& Reduction in Dust

Water sprays & Spray Bars

Ventilation
Control of drill dust
Control of conveyor dust
Control of ore pass dust
Control of mucking & haulage dust
Control of blasting dust
Control of road-header dust
Control of fresh air intake dust

Control Measures

Drill Dust Control

Good Dust Control

Requires Good Regular &
Consistent Maintenance

Factors that can lead to high

dust levels on drills:
Lack of Proper Maintenance
Failure to use water
Inadequate quantities of
water
Plugged water holes in drill
steels
Dull drill bits
Dry collaring.
Poor Maintenance on dust
collector systems

Crushers & Rock Breakers

Water Sprays Systems
Dust Collector Systems
Ventilation Systems
All require regular
maintenance &
attention.
Disabling dust control
systems are a bad
practice that can cause
long term health threats.

Conveyor Belt Dust Control

Possible Solutions to Conveyor

System Dust

Solutions to Conveyor Transfer Box

Dust May Require Installing & Properly
Maintaining Dust Collector Systems
Moving Rock Moves Air.

Maintenance of Water Spray &

Sprinkler Systems

Solving Ore Pass Dust

A critical step in dust control is to

prevent its escape & dispersal.
Confinement can be accomplished
by systems of stoppings & air
tight doors, curtains, spray bars,
or isolations of passes away from
travelways.
Dust can be reduce by wetting
before delivery & adding water at
the tipping site by spraying rock
as it falls into passes.

Mucking & Haulage Dust

Control
Large Strides can be made to
improve dust during this
cycle.
Improvement to water trucks
sprinklers.
Installation of mine wide
sprinkler systems.
Dust surfactants testing &
implementations.
Wetting down entire muck
area prior to removal of
material.

Blasting Dust Control

Thoroughly wetting down area

surrounding the blast (Back, Ribs & Seal)
before a blast will help settle dust from
previous operations from becoming
airborne.

Blasting Dust Control

Uniform rock moisture content of only

1% greatly reduces dust compared to dry
rock both before & after a blast.

Shotcreting Dust Control

Note: Predampening & washing down of
rock surfaces in shotcreting zone will
greatly improve adhesion of product &
eliminates a lot of dust that can be liberated
during pneumatic application of product.
When dry systems are utilized predampening of
product can reduce dust.
Also spray bars in close proximity can knock
down goodly amounts of generated dust.

Road Header Dust Control

Dust Control for machines like roadheaders
usually depend on some degree of dust cloud
confinement.

Road Header Dust Control

Managed Through Ventilation &
Water Sprays

Fresh Air Intake Dust

Dust is liberated from

other sources (i.e. process
facilities, haul roads,
backfill stockpiles.
Possible solutions:
Surface application of dust
surfactants around fresh air
intakes.
Increased water trucks
scheduling.
Better dust control at
surface crusher facilities.

Respiratory Protection
Ultimately it is the objective of the safety department
to do away with mandatory respiratory protection
for all underground personnel. This will only be
possible by diligent efforts of all personnel
underground.
There are definitely in roads that need to be made.
Some of it is behavioral. Some of it is
improvement in conditions that create dust
releases. It will require everyones help & active
participations to solve.

Mine Gases
-Their sources and control

Sources of Gases
In a mine oxygen is abstracted from the air chiefly:
(a) by the gradual oxidation of coal and other
carbonaceous minerals and to a smaller degree.
(b) by the breathing of men and animals, and
(c) by the burning of lights carbon dioxide is added
by these same three processes and
(d) in some mines it is given off by the coal and
adjacent strata.

Other noxious gases intrude themselves into

the mine air by the variety of means chief
among these is the evolution of methane
(the chief constituent of firedamp) from the
coal and associated strata, resulting in the
displacement of a corresponding proportion
of air.

And it contains conditions to the danger of an

explosion of some what less importance (because on
a smaller scale).
production of nitrous fumes from explosives, whilst
under abnormal conditions e.g. when spontaneous
combustion takes place or in the after damp of an
explosion the two deadly poisonous gases, carbon
monoxide and hydrogen sulphide (sulphurated
hydrogen) must be reckoned with.

Mine Gases Control

Prevention
Removal
Dilution
Absorption
Suppression
Use PPE