SIMPLIFYING DUST & NOISE MONITORING

Transcription

1 SIMPLIFYING DUST & NOISE MONITORING WILL O DELL HEALTH SPECIALIST CAMILLE HOLCOMB INDUSTRIAL HYGIENIST M S H A S O U T H C E N T R A L D I S T R I C T D A L L A S, T X

2 Overview Purpose Top 10 cited health standards FY / Practical approaches to reducing noise & dust exposures Available resources to the public

3 SCD: Top 10 cited health standards FY 2014 #1: Housekeeping 56/ #2: HazCom Labeling #3: HazCom Portable Containers #4: Noise, Action Level #5: Air Quality PELs 56/ (a)/.5005 #6: Toilet Facilities 56/ #7: Noise, PEL #8: Dust, Gas, Mist, Fume Surveys 56/ #9: Noise Monitoring #10: MSDS Requirement 47.51

4 Purpose Respirable crystalline silica is STILL a major cause of illness and death among miners: silicosis lung cancer non-malignant respiratory disease Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is the most common occupational illness among miners

5 30 CFR 56/ Exposure Monitoring Dust, gas, mist, and fume surveys shall be conducted as frequently as necessary to determine the adequacy of control measures.

6 Issues & Questions What constitutes a survey? How frequent is frequent enough? How will MSHA verify surveys are being conducted?

7 What is a survey? 2 types to consider: &

8 Qualitative Surveys Examples: Walk-through & visual surveys Ventilation system maintenance Worker input Dust control system checks

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10 Quantitative Surveys Sampling train Examples: Personal exposure sampling Respirable silica Nuisance dusts Welding fumes Metal dusts, etc.

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12 Are your surveys frequent enough? Have you been cited for an overexposure? Are sampling results close to the TLV? Have there been: Changes to your operation? Changes in equipment used to reduce exposures? Changes in work schedules? Longer shifts? Any employee complaints?

13 Evidence of Surveys To determine compliance, inspectors will consider evidence that surveys are being conducted: Visual inspection for excessive dust, poor ventilation, etc. Exposure monitoring records Maintenance records Interviews of workers & management

14 Best Practice: Keep Track! Document Your Surveys If mine changes ownership or management, you re on vacation, or the person who does health surveys is ill, what survey information will be available for others?

15 Operator s Responsibilities: What YOU can do to be proactive Anticipate possible health hazards Recognize the health hazards that exist onsite Evaluate smart ways to address health hazards Control health hazards or eliminate them

16 Miners have the highest incident of noise-induced hearing loss amongst all occupations. Source: Studies by NIOSH

17 30 CFR Noise Exposure Assessment The mine operator must establish a system of monitoring that evaluates each miner s noise exposure sufficiently to determine continuing compliance with this part.

18 Issues & Questions Is a system of monitoring just a noise map of my mine site? Do I have to monitor ALL of my employees? Do I have to run a full-shift sample of my employees? Frequency?

19 Sounds Level Meters (SLMs) Determining noise exposures using a sound level meter (SLM)

20 Noise Dosimeters Determining a dose (%) using a dosimeter

21 Eliminate and/or Control Engineering control options for Noise Buy quiet Dampen/block noise AT the source Block/impede the PATH (shielding miner)

22 SOURCE BLOCK/IMPEDE THE PATH NOISE SOURCE

23 Blocking/Impeding the Path

24 Examples: where to get industrial insulating material & ideas? MAGAZINE W/ NOISE CONTROLS: LATEST RESEARCH & CONTROLS BRD Noise & Vibration Control, Inc. Manufacture: absorbers, barriers, composites, damping & diffusion, flow control, & silencers NOT an endorsement by MSHA

25 Operator s Responsibilities: What YOU can do to be proactive Anticipate possible health hazards Recognize the health hazards that exist onsite Evaluate smart ways to address health hazards Control health hazards or eliminate them

26 Practical Approaches to Reducing Miners Noise Exposure Assure maintenance practices critical to reducing noise generation are identified and followed, such as: Keep chain tension adjusted to specifications Keep panels tightly bolted Keep seals around compartments secure Keep drive trains aligned & lubricated

27 Practical Approaches to Reducing Miners Dust Exposure Re-think bagging station & loading spout design Use hoods & local exhaust ventilation Ensure positive pressure in operators compartments Consider if product is abrasive and wearing holes in transfer/transport piping

28 Questions to ask yourself Are all existing noise/dust controls maintained? Are mechanical components/systems maintained including maintaining and greasing rollers, bearings, hubs, etc.? Are bolts tight, covers and compartments secure to prevent noise exposures? Are openings around doors and between compartments sealed?

29 Questions to ask yourself Are miners instructed on proper use, operation and maintenance of equipment with noise/dust controls? Is the air conditioning in booths and enclosures maintained? Are filters replaced on a scheduled basis for all air conditioners? Do smooth transitions exist between track rails? Are broken windows repaired?

30 Questions to ask yourself Are sharp (not dull) cutting tools used? Do noisy dust collection systems operate only when needed? Are proper thrust, rotational speed, torque and chain tensioning being used? Are doors and windows to cabs and booths kept closed?

31 Questions to ask yourself Is the exposed miner maintaining the greatest distance from the noise/dust source while still being able to perform their job? What kind of cleanup or maintenance is used, e.g., hand shovels vs. small loaders? Are radios turned off or the volume reduced as low as possible? Are there work practices that result in unnecessary exposure to noise/dust?

32 Questions to ask yourself Do miners park or idle equipment in high noise/dust areas for waiting, loading or dispatching? Do miners stand/don/doff PPE next to high noise/dust areas? Are manufacturer s air pressure recommendations followed for air-operated equipment?

33 Questions to ask yourself Are manufacturer s recommended maintenance schedules followed? Are air hoses used for cleanup rather than manual tools, vacuuming, or washing down with water? Can a video camera/monitor be used to observe critical operations, thus limiting a miner s exposure? Can a remote control system be used to remove an operator or miner from a noisy environment?

34 Questions to ask yourself Are exhausts directed away from miners? Has the proper type of acoustical material been selected to suit the job? Has consideration been given to the material s flammability properties? Are sound-treated booths provided for miner use, even on a periodic basis, where applicable?

35 Questions to ask yourself Do impact points employ vibration damping materials? Do barriers separate miners and noise sources? Is cleanup performed when the plant is running? If multiple noise sources are present, can barriers be installed to prevent the combined effects of sources? Are normal travel ways located away from noise sources?

36 Questions to ask yourself Are miners instructed to avoid high noise areas? Can noisy machines be replaced by quieter ones? When new or used equipment is purchased, are noise controls included? Is sound level or exposure data included? Is a Buy Quiet program in effect at the mine for the purchase of the quietest new and used equipment available? Has noise been considered in operational design?

37 Resources Inspector Handbooks Coal & MNM Health HBs Citation & Order Writing HBs Program Policy Manual (PPM) MSHA s Technical Support Mine visits, noise/dust studies w/ recommendations Call MSHA s SCD health team

38 U.S. Department of Labor Mine Safety and Health Administration Protecting Miners' Safety and Health Since 1978 THANK YOU! WILL O DELL & CAMILLE HOLCOMB SOUTH CENTRAL DISTRICT DALLAS, TEXAS ODELL.WILLIAM@DOL.GOV HOLCOMB.ALLYSON@DOL.GOV (214)