Sources of dust and contributing factors
From 1 September 2020, the occupational exposure limits (OEL) for respirable dust and respirable crystalline silica (RCS) are 1.5mg/m3 and 0.05mg/m3 respectively.
Dust particles are generated and can become airborne during many of the extraction and processing activities associated with producing and processing rock and mineral products.
These activities include:
- drilling
- blasting
- excavating
- loading and tipping
- transporting
- crushing, conveying and screening
- cutting and sawing
- stockpiling
- bagging
- cleaning and maintaining fixed and mobile plant.
Mine workers can be exposed to dust particles that differ in chemical composition, such as:
- dust containing crystalline silica
- coal dust
- dust containing metals such as lead, cadmium and arsenic
- asbestos.
The geology of the rock and mining activities to extract and process the rock will determine the type and quantity of dust particles generated.