Respirable dust is a continuing problem in mines where it adversely affects safety and productivity. The recent detection of three Queensland coal miners with black lung (Coal Workers’ Pneumoconiosis – CWP) has led to industrial actions at some Queensland coal mines. CWP has been a concern in the U.S. over the last few years despite recorded conformance to exposure level legislation. This has led to reasons to question the validity and suitability of dust control strategies and the dust sampling methodologies currently utilized in the Australia and the U.S. The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has recently reduced the shift averaged permissible exposure limit for respirable coal dust from 2.0 to 1.5 mg/m3. Click here to download the PDF for more information.
Thanks for the share, PMJ!
