For any type of ore mining, dust becomes a major health concern. This is true both for miners who are exposed to high levels on a regular basis and for those in the area if coal dust contaminates water supplies or the air. Mining dust suppression, for Western Australia or any other mining region, is important to help maintain safety.
Dust can be kicked up at many different steps of mining, extracting, and processing for most types of ores and minerals. In some cases particles are extremely fine and easily airborne, but they can also be coarser and heavier. One good way to help keep the air—and the ground—cleaner is through mining dust suppression in Western Australia, which is a process that adds water to crushed ore. Wetting down the ore helps to keep it from powdering too much during processing and helps to weigh down the dust that does form so that it doesn’t spread too widely into the environment.
Too much dust in mining environments can create a high risk for combustion and explosion, both in the mines and in processing facilities that use lots of electricity and heat. It can also create health risks, most often respiratory, like black lung or bronchitis. These are more common with longer-term close exposure, but mining dust can also contaminate the water or air in the region. Mining dust suppression in Western Australia, using reliable and well-serviced equipment through Dust Management Services, can help lower risk in an efficient way.