Methods to Lower the Dust Exposure of Bag Machine Operators and Bag Stackers

Details

• Personal Author:
  Cecala, Andrew B. ; Thimons, Edward D. ; Timko, Robert J.
• Description:
  This article reviews various dust control technologies developed over the years at the Pittsburgh Research Laboratory of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to provide various options and alternatives to lower bag machine operators' and bag stackers' dust exposures. Dust exposure records for the past 20 years show that bag machine operators and bag stackers normally have the highest respirable dust exposures of workers at mineral processing plants. A substantial amount of research has been performed over the years to minimize the dust exposure to these workers and the intent is to present all this information together in one article. Most of the research describes engineering controls that were adapted to existing facilities to reduce the dust generated during bag filling, bag conveying, and bag stacking. In some cases, a single technique succeeded in lowering respirable dust concentrations for all three processes, thus reducing the dust exposure to both the bag machine operator and the bag stacker. In other cases, a technique was developed to specifically reduce the dust exposure of one process or the other.This research also reviews various controls for secondary dust exposure, including general ventilation requirements to mill buildings, the effects of background dust sources, and personal work practices. This information is presented to help industrial hygienists, plant managers, engineers, and workers lower the dust exposure of bag machine operators and bag stackers. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Dust Minerals Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Respirable Dust Bag Operator Bag Stacker Dust-control Dust-control-equipment Dust-exposure Dust Control Dust Exposure Dusts Mineral-processing Mineral Processing Respirable-dust

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• Series:
  Mining Publications
• ISSN:
  1047-322X
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; Pennsylvania
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  PRL - Pittsburgh Research Laboratory
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  15
• Issue:
  10
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20022720
• Citation:
  Appl Occup Environ Hyg 2000 Oct; 15(10):751-765
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2001
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Applied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:fde0076ff20fd4aec81138166a05034ef53f23c2f91edfc901f694fd452fc2800bcd4c3a670adc9c36ef3e020f96c7703f704e41b225b4e975f8229a6960af47
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/220568/cdc_220568_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.09 MB ]