Understanding what airborne dust is, its potential health effects and how to manage dust in all areas of the workplace is fundamental to ensure that the respiratory health of your workforce is protected. Generating potentially harmful levels of respirable airborne dust is not confined to production-based tasks within an operation. Engineering and maintenance tasks also have the potential to expose tradesmen and operators to respirable dust that can cause lung disease. Many of these tasks are also often conducted without the need for respiratory protection being taken into consideration. Occupational dust disease is 100% preventable, and the key to workers making smart choices about their health is education. This presentation is a generic version of the Airborne Dust Awareness sessions that have been rolled out to thousands of mineworkers in the NSW coal industry recently and has resulted in positive behavioural change in and around the workplace. As industry leaders, we all need to understand the risks before we can identify them, then eliminate or control them. What is your level of airborne dust awareness?

1. Mechanical Engineering
Safety Seminar
Airborne dust
Awareness
Where do I stand?
August 2019

2.  What is airborne dust?
 Inhaling dust into our airways.
 Crystalline silica – it’s not just dust.
 Dust management at the coal face
 Respiratory Protective Equipment
 NSW coal – airborne dust monitoring framework
Content

3. Respirable dust
 <5 micron diameter
 Enter alveoli in the lungs
 Naked eye can only see >10 micron
Inhalable dust
 <100 micron diameter
 Enter mouth, nose, upper respiratory tract
 Visible dust
What is airborne
dust?

4. One micron is 0.001mm
Particle size

5.  Your airways can be divided into conducting airways and gas
exchanging airways.
 There are mechanisms to protect all of the airways from
inhaled particles.
 Particle size is important in penetration and deposition.
 Serious diseases can result from the retention of hazardous
dusts.
Airways and dust

6.  Coal Workers pneumoconiosis results
from the gradual accumulation of coal
dust particles within the lung tissue,
usually over a period of many years.
Coal Workers
Pneumoconiosis
CWP
“Black lung”

7. Respirable dust

8.  Some types of rock dust contain a lot of quartz, a form of
crystalline silica
This type of dust is much more
likely to be harmful to your
health than coal dust
Silicosis

9.  Silicia is more irritating to lung tissue because of its chemical
nature.
Silicosis

10. Inhaling
Respirable
Crystalline Silica
dust

11. Potential increased exposure:
1. Cutting of stone and clay bands
2. Trimming or brushing of roof and/or floor stone
3. Stone intrusions
4. Driving stone roadways
Cutting stone is not ‘business as usual’
Silicosis

12.  Interrogate the process – break it down
 Identify the issues - what parts in the process are we
exposing operators to unacceptable levels of airborne dust?
 Focus on controlling dust at the source
 Remove people and/or Reduce exposure time
 Everyone must be committed to getting the automation right
and removing people from the dust.
 Working smarter
Identifying Risk
Areas and tasks
of potential risk

13.  High standards are everyone's responsibility
 Think about where you are standing
 Think about where your mates are standing
Standards

14. • P2 respirator, if worn correctly, will protect you against both
mechanically and thermally generated particles
• P2 is rated to filter out smaller particles, like diesel
particulate.
• The carbon layer that is in some P2 respirators helps to
reduce odours and exposure to unburned fuel vapours.
Respiratory
Protection
and
Fit Checking
Your health
is
your choice
Respirator choice

15. Facial Fit
Regardless of the respirator selected, it is necessary to
wear them right.
Facial hair around the cheeks, neck and jaw will impair the
ability of respirators to seal and therefore provide
protection.
Respiratory
Protection
and
Fit Checking
Your health
is
your choice

16. Fitting & Fit CheckingRespiratory
Protection
and
Fit Checking
Your health
is
your choice

17. Coal Services
NSW Coal Mines
Airborne Dust Monitoring
Framework

18. Exposure Monitoring Requirements
 NSW Work Health & Safety (Mines & Petroleum sites)
Regulation 2014
 Coal Industry Act 2001
 Order 42 – Airborne dust monitoring
Enforcement
 NSW Resources Regulator
 Industry Safety & Health representatives
Review and Oversight
 Standing Dust Committee
 Order 40 – Longwall dust abatement
NSW Coal Mines
Airborne Dust
Monitoring
A unique
regulatory
approach with
oversight

19. 2018 Order 42 Airborne Dust Monitoring
Respirable
Dust Results
Respirable Dust
Exceedances
Respirable
Crystalline Silica
Results
Respirable
Crystalline Silica
Exceedances
Inhalable
Dust Results
Inhalable
Dust
Exceedances
South 494 0 402 4 227 3
Newcastle 475 0 276 1 237 3
Singleton 659 3 576 15 485 19
West 762 0 635 11 414 8
Total 2390 3 1889 31 1363 33

20. Prevention is the focus
 It’s not just about the results – Prevention is the focus.
 5 workers assessed per test
 Accompanied monitoring
 Integrity of results
 Quality of reported observations
 Exceedance contributing factors
 Provide feedback to the mine to assist control improvements
 Exposure limit exceedances require crew to be re-sampled

21. Order 42 Airborne Dust Monitoring – Results Transparency
 Transparent reporting of results
 Mine Manager
 NSW Resources Regulator
 Industry Safety & Health Representative (District Check Inspector)
 Coal Services
 Standing Dust Committee

22. SDC Report
Test number Sample Date Site Occupation/Task PPE Inhalable Dust Result
(mg/m³)
C02116 17/02/2016 Example Mine A Shearer Operator P2 Cartridge 14
Occupational Exposure Limit 10
Details / Observations Re-sample status / Actions
Longwall Bi-Di – LW 12 at 2002m
Crew = A/S
Production – 6,500 Tonnes.
Shearer initiated support advance operational during shift.
Poor roof conditions observed in TG snake area.
Exceedance Contributing Factors
a) Spray maintenance – sprays either not working or ineffective
at AFC to BSL transfer
b) Operator Position – Elevated exposure due to operator
standing adjacent to TG drum on MG to TG cut. Operator also
observed on return side of shearer for short periods during TG
snake cut out.
Status
Re-sample completed 2/3/16 and all operator results below OEL.
Site Actions
a) Site Review
b) Procedure Change – Task rotation procedure introduced.
Shearer driver must rotate to MG after 2 MG to TG shears.
C) Engineering – Sprays at AFC to BSL transfer repaired. Implementation of
curtain sprays on advancing chocks in rear walkways. Landmark shear is now
conducted on the MG to TG run - allows the operators to clear any advance
faults whilst still on the intake side of the shearer.
D) Additional Exposure Investigations - Continued LW dust characterisation
project (using real time monitor) to better understand dust sources and best
operator positions across production cycle.

23. Order 40 – Abatement of Dust on Longwalls
 Initiated in 1990
 Mine operator must submit and receive Order 40 approval prior to Longwall
block commencing production
 Application outlines airborne dust control measures such as:
Equipment type, extraction type, ventilation plan, water spray details, operator
position procedures, PPE procedures and any additional suppression
 Application review includes analysis of previous Longwall dust results
 Approval condition – Audit required within 14 days

24. “And always remember:
What’s on your face you
can wash off,
but what’s on your lungs
you can’t.
So be safe, and take
care of yourself.”
Occupational lung
diseases are
100% preventable

25. Working together
to protect
our industry