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| Evaluating directional water sprays on a longwall shearer |
Background
Historically, mine workers on longwall faces have had the highest degree of exposure to underground dust relative to the 2 mg/m3 dust standard. As longwall production increases, mine operators struggle with maintaining consistent compliance with the mandated dust standard. In compliance samples collected from 2000 through 2004, 19% of the return side face workers, 11% of the tailgate-side shearer operators, and 10% of the jacksetters exceeded the 2 mg/m3 dust standard. Production levels are projected to increase further, heightening the need for improved longwall control technologies. NIOSH researchers are conducting benchmark surveys in approximately 20% of the U.S. longwalls in an effort to identify the major sources of dust generation, the state of the art of longwall dust control technology, successful control technologies, and issues of additional need. To date, longwall surveys have been completed in six longwalls.
Potential Outcome
At the completion of these sur-veys, information on successful controls will be summarized in a handbook. The surveys will be completed by late 2006, and the information will be summarized and ready for publication by late 2007. This information will be disseminated throughout the longwall mining industry to provide guidance for reducing dust levels on longwalls. Gaps or needs for additional control technologies will also be identified and addressed through future research. The potential impact of this work lies in the fact that all longwall mining operations will have access to the latest proven longwall dust control technologies with guidance for implementing these controls.