INDUSTRY RISKS
· UNDERGROUND MINING

More than 250 deaths per year in underground mining are attributed to silicosis, claims Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS), as well as other dusts, is generated through different processes and conditions specific to underground occupational environments.

• According to Mining Technology, there are over 2,000 underground mines still in operation worldwide
• More than 250 deaths per year in underground mining are attributed to silicosis, claims MSHA
• According to MSHA, more than a million miners in the USA are exposed to dangerous levels of silica
• The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) report that from 2006 to 2011, mine explosions accounted for nearly 1/4 of mining-related deaths in the USA

• Construction dust
• Respirable dust
• Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS)

• Nitrogen Dioxide
• Hydrogen Sulphide
• Sulphur Dioxide
• Flammable gases
• Oxygen
• Methane
• Ammonia

• Drilling into rock + existing structures
• Excavation of rocks
• Lack of effective ventilation
• Loading + unloading of materials
• Transportation + use of machinery
• Transportation of raw materials

• Blasting into natural structures
• Drilling natural structures
• Excavation of rock
• Natural deposits in rocks
• Use of vehicle + machine engines
• Lack of ventilation
• Rock bursts