Good housekeeping practices can greatly reduce miners’ exposures to respirable dust and silica.
- Dusty work clothes are a significant source of secondary exposures
- Regularly wash work clothes including jackets and sweatshirts
- Install and use solutions such as cleaning stations and booths
- Compressed air cannot be used to clean clothes!
- Dirt and dust can be carried into work areas on miners’ boots
- Install boot washing stations near production areas
- Install boot brushes outside of equipment cabs, control rooms, and offices
- Cloth seats can collect and release dust every time they are used
- Use leather and vinyl chairs in equipment, break rooms, and offices
- Wipe down chairs regularly
- Wash equipment and floors on a regular basis
- Start by slowly wetting the area with a wide spray nozzle, then move the wetted material with a more forceful nozzle
- Use floor sweeping units and HEPA vacuums in high-traffic areas
- Use a sweeping compound to reduce dust when dry sweeping
McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.
Original article published by MSHA