Sierrita is participating in the North America Dust Reduction Project to protect the health of employees and to meet new MSHA requirements.
The goal is to reduce the amount of dust in the air and to mitigate the risk of Silica exposure. The secondary crusher plant is a major focus area.
“We’ve initiated several projects to bring down the dust,” said Senior Supervisor of Crush/Convey Mike Burgess. “These include installing exhaust fans, remodeling the control room with a reverse flow air system, and installing other special equipment. But technology can only go so far. We need our frontline workers to help us eliminate dust before it becomes respirable.”
Burgess is asking workers to follow best maintenance practices for the sake of their own health and safety.
These maintenance practices include, checking that dust collectors are functioning properly, suppressing the dust before you clean it by putting water on it, being careful with air lances so you don’t contribute to the problem by blowing more dust in the air, and using the right tool for the job.
Burgess stresses that general housekeeping might be one of the best ways to reduce dust. Do your inspections to see if there is dust accumulating in areas, create a work order if necessary, and make sure you’re cleaning up your workspace.
“Our main message is to protect yourself. We want you to go home every day healthy and happy and to not have a long-term effect from respirable dust,” Burgess said. “Protect yourself by wearing your PPE and by following our Standard Operating Procedures.”