Translucent Face Partition for Longwall Dust Control

Details

• Personal Author:
  Leon MH ; Organiscak, John A.
• Description:
  Controlling worker dust exposure on longwaIl mining systems is difficult because the working face area serves as an immediate return during the mining cycle and the amount of airborne dust generated is directly related to production. Since improvements in longwall mining technology have significantly boosted production levels, additional technology is needed to control the airborne respirable dust generated at present and future production levels. One concept to reduce longwaIl worker's dust exposure is to maintain two splits of air at the face -- a clean intake split in the workers walkway, and a return (dusty) split over the face conveyor. The U. S. Bureau of Mines has recently investigated a concept to overcome the visibility handicap of face partitions by utilizing a permeable polyester mesh. The mesh material was anticipated to provide adequate air-splitting capabilities as long as the pressure differential between the face and worker walkway was minimal. Initial testing of this concept at the Controlling worker dust exposure on longwaIl mining systems is difficult because the working face area serves as an immediate return during the mining cycle and the amount of airborne dust generated is directly related to production. Since improvements in 10ngwa1l mining technology have significantly boosted production levels, additional technology is needed to control the airborne respirable dust generated at present and future production levels. One concept to reduce 10ngwaIl worker's dust exposure is to maintain two splits of air at the face -- a clean intake split in the workers walkway, and a return (dusty) split over the face conveyor. The U. S. Bureau of Mines has recently investigated a concept to overcome the visibility handicap of face partitions by utilizing a permeable polyester mesh. The mesh material was anticipated to provide adequate air-splitting capabilities as long as the pressure differential between the face and worker walkway was minimal. Initial testing of this concept at the Bureau's Lake Lynn Laboratory showed that notable reductions could be achieved with a 1/8 in (3.18 mm) and 1/16 in (1.59 mm) mesh opening size. Dust reductions at 100 ft (30.5 m) and 200 ft (61.0 m) downstream of source were 58 and 36 pet, respectively, for the 1/8 in mesh and 79 and 55 pet, respectively for the 1/16 in mesh. Longwall application of the 1/8 in mesh showed similar results to the Lake Lynn Laboratory tests. A flame retardant mesh was used underground with portable lighting mounted on the shearing machine for face side lighting. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Coal Coal Mining Geology Mining Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Airborne-dusts Dust-control Dust-exposure Dusts Exposure-levels Longwall-mining Mining-industry Risk-factors Underground-mining Work-environment Workers

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• Series:
  Mining Publications
• ISBN:
  9780873351188
• Publisher:
  Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Proceedings
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; Pennsylvania
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  PRC - Pittsburgh Research Center
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20046351
• Citation:
  Proceedings of the 6th US mine ventilation symposium, June 21-23, 1993, Salt Lake City, Utah. Bhaskar R, ed. Littleton, CO: Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, 1993 Jun; :557-562
• Editor(s):
  Bhaskar R
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1993
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  Proceedings of the 6th US mine ventilation symposium, June 21-23, 1993, Salt Lake City, Utah
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:06f54548bc106721f3231d96b5aa9fb328bc114d6f34c8439356b2d8abbc42792d07e8b23ee32d2437f4f238ea16928aea566d01505ff9d805c61f0fd74c573d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/228132/cdc_228132_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 3.55 MB ]