Monthly Archives: December 2019

Christmas 2019

From all of us at DustWatch CC, we trust you had a wonderful Christmas and will enjoy a prosperous 2020.

Dust Monitoring Equipment – providing equipment, services and training in dust fallout management to the mining industry.

Combustible Dust

Dust can be very dangerous!  Please follow the link to read the original article.

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Combustible Dust: It Doesn’t Take MuchEnvironmental Expert

Combustible Dust

Dec. 2, 2016
Courtesy of SafetySmart

“A dust accumulation of 1/32 of an inch deep—about the thickness of a dime—covering just five percent of a room’s surface area doesn’t sound like much, but it’s enough to cause a catastrophic explosion, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

Although good engineering and safety practices to prevent dust explosions have existed for decades, there are no government standards for general industry requiring and enforcing policies aimed at preventing combustible dust explosions, according to the US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB).

The CSB adds that many companies are not taking effective action to control dust hazards. Industries at risk for combustible dust explosions include food production, metal processing, wood products, pharmaceutical, chemical manufacturing, rubber and plastic manufacturing and coal-fired power plant operations.

Angela Blair, a former CSB investigator, says most solid organic materials will explode if the particles are small enough and they are disbursed in a sufficient concentration.

“What is so frustrating about dust explosions is that they are so preventable and I believe one of the reasons that dust explosions continue to occur may simply be a lack of understanding about the materials,” says Blair. “Some of the materials that could form combustible dust, and there are lots of them, could include coal, food products like sugar and flour, pharmaceuticals, many chemicals and even many metals.”

Like all fires, a dust fire requires fuel, oxygen and an ignition sources. A dust explosion requires two additional elements—dispersion and confinement. When the dust is confined within a structure or a piece of equipment, a powerful explosion can occur.

Dust may accumulate on surfaces such as floors, beams, rafters and lights and lie undisturbed for years. If a fire or explosion occurs, this accumulated dust can ignite in a series of explosions, with devastating results.

The chances of a combustible dust explosion occurring are greater during cold-weather months, because low humidity levels can make dust particularly easy to disburse and ignite.

The NFPA says preventing dust explosions involves designing facilities in such a way that combustible dusts cannot accumulate and migrate and performing rigorous housekeeping on a continuing basis to remove any dust that does build up.

The NFPA also recommends:

Vacuuming dust using specialized equipment designed for that purpose. Never use compressed air to clear dust accumulations because doing so can create a dust cloud that could easily explode in the presence of an ignition source.

Paying particular attention to out-of-the-way areas that might not be visible from the floor yet could contain dangerous buildups of combustible dust.

Having a laboratory test the potential for explosion of any materials in dust (powder) form that are present in your workplace.

In addition, your workers need to be trained to recognize and report combustible dust hazards so that they can be addressed before a disaster occurs.”

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Dust Monitoring Equipment – providing equipment, services and training in dust fallout management to the mining industry.

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

When working in mining or industry there are certain health risks – hearing loss is one of them.  Read the article below to find out more about it.  Please follow the link to read the original article.

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Noise-induced hearing loss protection and Mining Safety – Mining Safety

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

Noise-induced hearing loss is 100% preventable.

Unlike most occupational injuries, there is no visible evidence of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). It is not traumatic and often goes unnoticed when it first occurs. Noise-induced hearing loss accumulates over time, its effects realized long after the damage has been done. NIHL is permanent and irreversible. With proper education, motivation and protection, however, it is also 100% preventable.

According to the World Health Organization, noise-induced hearing loss is the most common permanent and preventable occupational illness in the world. In the European Union, NIHL is the most commonly reported occupational injury.

20% of EU workers are exposed to hazardous noise half their working time, 10% exposed full time (source: EU OSHA).

When is noise considered hazardous? Anytime you must shout at someone an arm’s length away to be heard.

While exposure to hazardous noise is common, prevention of NIHL is simple:

Consistent use of properly fitted hearing protection when exposed to hazardous noise. That is the goal of every Hearing Conservation Programme.
Noise-induced hearing loss is not solely a workplace issue. It can happen off the job, too. Many employees use power tools, attend loud rock concerts and sporting events, or participate in shooting sports.

All are opportunities for exposure to hazardous noise. Prevention is the key, on and off the job.

Indicators of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

Although there are no visual signs, there are a few simple indicators of NIHL. Identification in its early stages can help prevent further damage.

Gradual Progression

NIHL rarely happens overnight. Rather, it accumulates over time with every unprotected exposure to hazardous noise, usually in both ears. This progression can be detected through healthy hearing practices, including the performance of annual audiograms on all employees in your Hearing Conservation Programme. Audiograms can identify whether your employees are experiencing a degradation in hearing, which indicates permanent damage and requires further preventative action.

High-Frequency Hearing Loss

When hearing impairment begins, the high frequencies are often lost first, which is why people with NIHL often have difficulty hearing high pitched sounds such as human voices, alarms and signals. Compared to other sounds, they will seem muffled or distorted.
With normal hearing, conversations are understandable if they are loud enough. When someone suffers from noise-induced hearing loss, simply turning up the volume does not make speech clearer. The clarity is adversely affected regardless of how loud the volume.

Common Symptoms

Those suffering from noise-induced hearing loss will experience tinnitus (ringing in the ears) or muffled hearing. Non-auditory effects of NIHL may include increased stress, high blood pressure, sleep problems and/or headaches.

As manufacturing, construction and other industrial endeavors are on the rise in Europe, so are the number of people exposed to harmful levels of noise in the workplace. Over 29% of all employees are exposed to hazardous levels of noise in at least one-quarter of their time in the workplace, and 11% are exposed at all times1 – and these trends are increasing.

While noise-induced hearing loss is permanent and irreversible, it is completely preventable. The new European Union Directive 2003/10/EC, aims to prevent employee exposure to harmful noise, while promoting a healthier and more productive workforce.”

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Dust Monitoring Equipment – providing equipment, services and training in dust fallout management to the mining industry.

Siberian Gold Mine Dam Collapse

In October there was a gold mine dam collapse in Siberia – see the story below.  Please follow the link provided to read the original article.

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15 dead after Siberian gold mine dam collapse, 3 arrested, Russia – Watchers

Posted by Julie Celestial on October 21, 2019

Siberian Gold Mine Dam Collapse

“Heavy rains caused a dam at a gold mine near Shchetinkino, Siberia to burst on October 19, 2019, at 02:00 LT, resulting in at least 15 fatalities, 26 injured, and 13 others missing. Russian authorities have also arrested the head of the mining company along with two other people for allegedly violating regulations.

According to Russia’s health ministry, 14 miners were sent to the hospital including three who were severely injured.

A criminal investigation has been opened after allegations surfaced that the dam violated safety regulations and was built illegally. The arrested suspects were the CEO, the senior manager, and the foreman of the site.

“The hydro-technical facility was self-constructed and, I believe, all rules I can and cannot think of were violated,” head of the Krasnoyarsk regional government Yuri Lapshin said.

President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman said the orders have been sent to authorities to provide aid and examine the factors behind the accident.

Floodwaters also swept several small cabins where workers have stayed.

The mine is located in a remote location about 160 km (100 miles) south of the city of Krasnoyarsk and 4 000 km (2 500 miles) east of Moscow.

Due to the increased water levels from the Seiba River, people are being evacuated from nearby Kuragino village.”

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Dust Monitoring Equipment – providing equipment, services and training in dust fallout management to the mining industry.