Mining Publication: Partnership Helps All Breathe A Little Easier

Over a four-year period, a mine manager and mining crew at two underground limestone mines had a significant impact on assisting National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health researchers in reducing contaminants and improving the air quality in enclosed cabs of mobile mining equipment. Because of this positive cooperative working relationship, NIOSH researchers were able to evaluate the following:

• The impact of a powered intake air unit versus a static design,
• Use of an in-cab pressure monitor to determine the integrity and functioning of filtration and pressurization systems,
• Changes in air quality using different filter configurations and filter dust loading characteristics in the filtration and pressurization systems, and
• HEPA versus MERV 16 quality filters on the air quality inside the enclosed cabs.

Over the past 15 years, the Pittsburgh Mining Research Division (PMRD) for NIOSH has partnered with many different companies and organizations to improve the health of miners working inside enclosed cabs of mobile mining equipment. In addition, NIOSH has also partnered with an array of different surface and underground metal/non-metal mining companies to perform research studies on reducing dust/contaminants and improving the air quality inside of enclosed cabs.