Mining Publication: Reducing Dust Exposure from Contaminated Work Clothing with a Stand-Alone Cleaning System

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Original creation date: June 2008

Authors: AB Cecala, DE Pollock, JA Zimmer, AD O'Brien, WR Fox

Conference Paper - June 2008

NIOSHTIC2 Number: 20034611

Proceedings of the 12th U.S./North American Mine Ventilation Symposium, Reno, Nevada, June 9-11, 2008. Wallace, Jr. KG. ed., Reno, NV: University of Nevada - Reno, 2008; :637-643

A few years ago, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and Unimin Corporation developed a clothes cleaning system that is able to quickly, effectively, and safely remove dust from the clothing of a worker without dust exposure to the worker, the work environment, or co-workers during the cleaning process. To perform the process, a worker enters a cleaning booth and activates an air spray manifold which blows the dust from the clothing. Since the cleaning booth is under negative pressure, all the dust and product removed are contained. In the original design, this dust-laden air was exhausted to a dust collector system. However, since most operations do not have excess dust collector capacity, it was decided to determine an alternative method to provide for a stand-alone cleaning system. This was achieved by ducting the exhaust outside the plant and into the atmosphere. This technique was recently tested and shown to be a viable method to provide for a stand-alone clothes cleaning system.

Image of publication Reducing Dust Exposure from Contaminated Work Clothing with a Stand-Alone Cleaning System
Conference Paper - June 2008

NIOSHTIC2 Number: 20034611

Proceedings of the 12th U.S./North American Mine Ventilation Symposium, Reno, Nevada, June 9-11, 2008. Wallace, Jr. KG. ed., Reno, NV: University of Nevada - Reno, 2008; :637-643


Page last reviewed: September 21, 2012
Page last updated: September 21, 2012