Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/777939
by Andrew Cecala and John Organiscak SPECIAL REPORT 30 AGGREGATES MANAGER / February 2017 O ver a four-year period, a mine manager and mining crew at two underground limestone mines had a signifi cant impact on assisting National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) research- ers in reducing contaminants and improving the air quality in enclosed cabs of mobile mining equipment. Because of this positive cooperative working relationship, NIOSH researchers were able to evaluate the following: • The impact of a powered intake air unit versus a static design, • Use of an in-cab pressure monitor to determine the integrity and functioning of fi ltration and pressurization systems, • Changes in air quality using different fi lter confi gurations and fi lter dust loading characteristics in the fi ltration and pressurization systems, and • HEPA versus MERV 16 quality fi lters on the air quality inside the enclosed cabs. Gaining partners Over the past 15 years, the Pittsburgh Mining Research Division (PMRD) for NIOSH has partnered with many different companies and organizations to improve the health of miners working inside enclosed cabs of mobile mining equipment. In addition, NIOSH has also partnered with an array of different surface and underground metal/non-metal mining companies to perform research studies on reducing dust/contaminants and improving the air quality inside of enclosed cabs. After the completion of one of these studies, the results were published and presented at the SME Annual Meeting. When the presentation ended, Doug Hardman, president of J.H. Fletcher Co., approached the NIOSH researcher and A metal/non-metal underground mining crew partners with NIOSH to study air quality in enclosed cabs and improve worker health.