How Mine Dust Monitoring Prevents Environmental Damage And Health Problems
Excavation of sites for the purposes of constructing mines often involves the removal of large quantities of soil from one area. The disturbance of so much soil leaves the industrial site vulnerable to particular issues, including soil erosion due to the movement of water through the excavation mounds, and risk of dust inhalation by those who work on the site. The control of dust in mining sites is essential in order to avoid environmental damage and to protect the workers, and using specialist mine dust monitoring tools can help the industry to handle it issues with fine airborne particles more effectively. Reducing the risk of soil loss and contamination can ensure that the business saves money in the long term.
Airborne dust and worker health
Dust inhalation has always been a serious problem for those who work in the mining industry, and the inhalation of fine dust into the lungs can cause severe health conditions, and may even result in death. Workers have successfully sued companies in the past for exposing them to the dangers of fine particles, and so modern mining companies tend to want to control dust more rigorously, reducing the impact on workers in the area. The use of mine dust monitoring tools can help businesses to work out when dust is becoming a problem, and can also prevent workers from entering a site without the use of precautionary dust control methods. Without these monitoring tools, workers could be unknowingly exposed to dust during their daily jobs, and the effects would not be known for years or even decades.
Airborne dust and soil erosion
A more recent issue with the amount of dust produced by mining companies involves soil erosion, and the loss of soil through the movement of fine particles. These particles, released into the atmosphere as dust or carried away by water, can be carried into the environment, contaminating the local residential estates or watercourses, and causing problems such as flooding or drought. Controlling the amount of dust in the atmosphere can help to manage soil erosion, and businesses need to use monitoring tools in order to help them understand when dust is present in excessive amounts. Monitoring the situation can also help to assess fluctuations in the amount of dust produced, and to calculate whether dust control solutions are working in any particular excavation site.
