Environmental hazards at a mine msha video convergence training. Mining safety and health research program mining program reveals that it makes essential contributions to the enhancement of health and safety in the mining industry. Powers and functions of the inspectorate division 2. With the introduction of strict safety legislation and protocol, as well as advances in safety equipment, the industry has seen its fatality rate drop over. Occupational hazards can encompass many types of hazards, including chemical hazards, biological hazards biohazards, psychosocial hazards, and physical hazards.
Mining health safety 7 common risks to protect yourself. To use protective equipment issued to you and to maintain it in good order. Cdc mining reducing hazards in underground coal mines niosh. Radon daughter exposure in underground mining has increased the risk of lung cancer, but is now generally controlled by mine ventilation 2027.
This applies particularly to traumatic injury hazards, ergonomic hazards and noise. The mining industry has a reputation for being a risky business, with health risks that are varied and often quite serious, and it is important for miners to protect themselves accordingly nevertheless, mining doesnt have to be unsafe. Mining remains an important industrial sector in many parts of the world. National institute of miners health, ministry of mines 2005 brief report. The question of occupational health and safety, as a global issue, is. Minerals and mining health, safety and technical regulations, 2012 l. Most countries and industries scarcely recognize occupational health and safety. Over a span of five years beginning in 2007 to 2008 and ending in 2011 to 2012, there were 36 mining industry fatalities. Mining is an important sector in pakistan after agriculture.
However, there are a number of issues concerning management of the hazards and risks in south african mines. Exposure to occupational hazards among the 64 119 respondents response rate 78% included vibration from hand tools or machinery 3%, temperatures that make one perspire even when not working 4%, low temperatures whether indoors or outdoors 4%, smoke, fume, powder or dust inhalation %, pesticides 3%, noise so loud that voice had to be raised to talk to people 4%. Download the occupational health and safety books pdf to boost your career in occupational health and safety. The management of occupational health and safety in the. An indepth study for discussion with a view to the elaboration of a plan of action for such activities report vi, international labour conference, 91st session, 2003. Occupational health and safety in miningstatus, new. Some of the health hazards are common to mining in general. Mining has always been among the most hazardous of occupations, and with the. This chapter discusses concerns for potential new health hazards arising from the introduction of new technology. Get a printable copy pdf file of the complete article 1. Click on a topic to explore an overview, or click on the symbol next to a topic to expand or collapse its content categories, including related projects and contracts. Unless otherwise indicated english text signed by the state president as amended by. Health and safety in mines in south africa is regulated by the mine health and safety act 29 of 1996 and the mine health and safety act regulations.
Some hazards, such as ground instability, are inherent in the underground environment. This is most recommended book for hse professionals to help them to improve health and safety culture at their workplace. Safety and health topics toxic metals occupational. The significant decreases in the serious injury rate in mines that have been achieved in many countries are due to changes in the nature of work and as a result of. The answer to the health problems is knowledge of the hazard and concern for the welfare of others on. This work is licensed under a creative commons attribution. The principal airborne hazards in the mining industry include several types of particulates, naturally occurring gases, engine exhaust and some chemical vapours.
Mine safety and health administration 201 12th st s suite 401 arlington, va 222025450. It also conducts audits on hazardous and nonhazardous equipment. Why occupational, health and safety ohs is important in mining industry. To further increase its effectiveness, the mining program should proactively identify workplace hazards and establish more challenging and innovative goals toward hazard reduction. Occupational health and safety using data mining article pdf available in international journal for quality research 64 december 2012 with 357 reads how we measure reads. For more information about these mine safety hazards and risks and some practical guidance on how best to control them, download the full article here.
It is well documented that working in the mining industry is a high risk endeavour. It defines the osh objectives for port operations, and provides a framework for the implementation of the ppa occupational safety and health osh policy. Occupational safety and health standards department circular no. Emerging issues can be associated with cultural or industrial factors.
Given the importance of mining to employment and in the economy. Hazards identified and the need for health risk assessment. The pdf book consists of total elements separated in 2 parts, the first part is having 5 elements and 8 elements in 2nd part. Oct 21, 20 to conclude, the occupational hazards mentioned above are only a few of the most common and dangerous risks miners have to risk. Effective safety and health policies should set a clear direction for the organisation to. Occupational safety and health in mining anthology on the situation in 16 mining countries ed.
He was director of the swedish national training programmes for specialists in occupational health services and labour inspection, 19711988, and director of the nordic institute for. These occur in varying combinations depending on the mine or quarry, its depth, the composition of the ore and. Mining topics are areas where niosh has formerly been or is currently engaged in performing research and producing publications. Occupational safety and h ealth hazards in mining companies. State occupational safety and health standards mining. The main purposes of the convention are to ensure that a higher priority is given to occupational safety and health in national agendas and to foster political commitments in a tripartite context for the improvement of occupational safety and health. Health hazards of mining and quarrying ilo encyclopaedia. As a result, occupational health and safety has continued to remain outside mainstream organisational and management researches barling et al. Pdf occupational health and safety using data mining. Under section 25 of the occupational health and safety act, an employee may file a complaint against an employer or union if the employer or union has taken, or threatens to take, a discriminatory action against the employee because the employee complied with the act, the regulations or an order or because the employee sought the enforcement of. Exposure to occupational health hazards among zambian.
Given the scope of the problem and the importance of mining to the regions economy, a systematic approach is needed to address the crisis of occupational health hazards, particularly tb, in africas. Companies should implement occupational health and safety management ohsm rules and regulations. With increasing mechanization and the general advances in technology there have naturally been changes in the health risks and hazards. P health hazards of artisanal and smallscale gold mining. This course discusses several different weather conditions that can affect the mine site including high winds, ice, excessive rain, lighting, and fog. General survey on occupational safety and health 2009 ilo standardsrelated activities in the area of occupational safety and health. Goalpromote the health and safety of people at work through prevention and early intervention. Full text full text is available as a scanned copy of the original print version. Mining hazards database the chief executive mining hazards database is a database of information about hazards associated with mining operations and methods of controlling those hazards.
Workrelated illnesses and injuries include any illness or injury incurred by an employee engaged in workrelated activities while. Safety assessment of major mining hazards mmh safety assessment stage 3 report rev 0. Workplace safety and health management health and safety. South africa has set occupational exposure limits oels for some hazards, but mine. Seeking candidates for the position of director, pittsburgh mining research division publication see how findings on mineworker perceptions about safety climate can help companies develop improved health and safety management systems. Miners and community members in asgm areas are constantly exposed to elemental mercury vapour, and depending on the local situation to ingestion of methylmercury from local fish andor rice. Unit 1 introduction to occupational health and safety page 6 provide a safe and healthy work environment to all employees. In addition, minersuse heavy machinery and other specialised equipment and tools that can be risky to operate. In some instances ergonomic hazards, which are associated with poor engineering design, contribute to increased safety risks.
Pdf occupational health hazards arising during mining and. Included in the database are references to the safety alerts, recognised standards and external publications that relate to the control of the hazards. Occupational health hazards of mine workers ncbi nih. Full text get a printable copy pdf file of the complete article 1. Some toxic, semimetallic elements, including arsenic and selenium, are discussed in this page. International labour standards on occupational safety and. Every sector has it own work risks and hazards depending the used materials and the ergonomic factor the surrounding of the work place and the way how work is carried out. The regulations are supported by new guidance l149.
The possible exception to this is south america where at least in one country parasitic. In the united states, the national institute for occupational safety and health niosh conduct workplace investigations and research addressing workplace health and. Powers of chief inspector of mines to prepare guidelines 4. Occupational health and safety in miningstatus, new developments and concerns province. Occupational health hazards associated with mininghow to avoid them. The 1970 occupational safety and health act established osha to protect workers from occupational safety and health hazards although mining safety is regulated by a separate federal agency, the mine. Miners expose themselves to a wide array of occupational health hazards on a constant basis, and while some hazards are related to airborne particulates such as free silica or respirable mine dust, other occupational health hazards involve ionizing radiation, oxygen deficiency or. Safe and efficient extraction and processing is one of the major goal of a mining companies.
This applies particularly to traumatic injury hazards, ergonomic hazards. These companies face a rapidly booming mining sector and need the help of ohsm to achieve business goals. Key issues on occupational health and safety practices in. The consumption of alcohol or the use of illegal drugs whilst working is a dangerous practise. In very small amounts, many of these metals are necessary to support life.
The third charge to the committee was to consider significant emerging research areas in mining safety and health that appear especially important in terms of their relevance to the mission of the national institute for occupational safety and health niosh mining program. The mining industry is a high health risk occupation. The ppa occupational safety and health management plan oshmp documents the responsibilities of ppa in meeting relevant statutory requirements, specifications and standards. Toxic metals, including heavy metals, are individual metals and metal compounds that negatively affect peoples health. The goals are to ensure that those who work in ontarios mines come home healthy and safe at the end of every shift, and to maintain a productive and innovative mining industry. A major mining hazard is defined under the ohs mines regulations 2002 as a mining hazard that has the potential to cause an incident that causes, or poses a significant risk of. This is because the jobentails the extraction of precious stones and minerals deep within the earth. Occupational hazards in mining and manufacturing sectors a worker is likely to suffer occupational diseases, as well as what are termed wordrelated diseases. Mining remains an important industrial sector in many parts of the world and although substantial progress has been made in the control of occupational health hazards, there remains room for further risk reduction.
Occupational health issues in developing countries nature of occupational health problems. Occupational health and safety is one of the most important aspects of human concern. Occupational health a manual for primary health care workers world health organization regional office for the eastern mediterranean whoemoch85el. Mercury is a toxic substance that causes negative health effects, depending on the. By using the criteria developed in this study and described in this bureau of mines report, the occurrence of coalbed discontinuities may be predicted and anticipated in advance of mining. Overt occupational diseaseschemical poisonings, pneumoconiosesmore common. Although mining plays a prominent role in the economy of south africa, it is associated with many. The majority of workplaces in mining are related with physical work and exposure of workers to various health hazards on the part of such factors as. The mines regulations 2014 came into force on 6 april 2015 and replace all previous mine specific health and safety legislation. This paper will discuss safety in surface mining, both coal and hard rock mining. Mining also has a multiplier effect on the rest of the economy, which, when taken into consideration, raises the contribution of mining to the gdp to close to 12%6.
Occupational health hazards associated with mining how to. Apr 15, 2015 underground mining, by its nature, presents a range of health and safety hazards that are different from those in other sectors. Occupational health hazards and environmental effects in. Fortunately, the modern mining environments are not as dangerous as they once used to be, in terms of both mine structure and miners health. Health and safety risks and benefits chapter 3 identified technologies that will benefit major components of the industry in the areas of exploration, mining, and processing. An occupational hazard is a hazard experienced in the workplace. Apr 30, 20 the hazards of mining workminers have one of the toughest and most dangerous jobs in the world. Occupational health and safety in mining status, new developments, and concerns by m. Hazards identified and the need for health risk assessment in the south african mining industry w utembe1,2, em faustman3, p matatiele1 and m gulumian1,4 abstract although mining plays a prominent role in the economy of south africa, it is associated with many chemical hazards. Workers are fired for voicing safety and health concerns, companies subject workers to known hazards while the courts spend years deciding contested citations, and our nations workforce protection agencies are plagued with outdated laws, tools, and penalties that make it difficult to deter safety and health violations. Although ohs standards has been improved but the progress is slow.
The importance of health and safety at african mine sites. Occupational health and safety practices have generally been given little research attention. Hermanus synopsis this paper examines the occupational health and safety performance ohs of the south african mining sector against the backdrop of changes in the composition of the sector, international. Legislation on the health aspects of mining operations in africa must be developed in line with international standards and best practices. The south african government is committed to controlling the hazards of mining. Hazards identified and the need for the authors 2015. Mining is inherently dangerous both in terms of accident and ill health.
Safety and health regulations and laws also known as standards can prevent deaths, injuries, and illnesses that can occur on the job. Mining prac tices generate numerous conditions that have huge consequences on hum an safety and health. Overviewthe intent behind the occupational safety and health topic area is to prevent diseases, injuries, and deaths that are due to working conditions. Occupational safety and health healthy people 2020.
Problems associated with manual coal getting, for example, nystagmus, have rapidly declined and have been replaced by problems such as noise related to modern mining techniques. Apr 15, 2015 the honourable kevin flynn minister of labour 400 university avenue toronto, ontario m7a 1t7. He was director of the swedish national training programmes for specialists in occupational health services and labour inspection, 19711988, and. Occupational health and safety in t miningstatus, new. Assessment of the major mining hazards associated with the current and planned operations. The code is not intended to replace national laws or regulations or accepted standards. New guidance is also available on electrical safety in mines hsg278. This international standard is important because the special hazards faced by mineworkers are now dealt with in a specific instrument. Since miners and equipment at surface mining operations are exposed to the elements, it is important to work cautiously and recognize the hazardous conditions that weather can create. If these features are considered, then approximately 80 pct of all interruptions in the economic coalbeds in this area result from channel activity. Metals economics group world exploration trends report pdf. Others are introduced through complex mining activities and processes, which bring potential hazards into the underground. In artisanal and smallscale gold mining asgm liquid mercury hg0 is applied to extract gold from ore. It aims an adaptation of working environment to workers for the promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental and social well being of workers in all occupations.
The historical aspects of respiratory problems in the mining industry have been fully documented 1 and although the relative importance of some conditions has altered, pneumoconiosis remains the most important occupational hazard in those countries in which coal extraction is a significant industry. Pdf occupational health hazards in mining in pakistan. Physical hazards traumatic injury remains a major drawback and ranges from the trivial to the fatal. Safety and health in opencast mines vi the practical recommendations of this code of practice are intended for the use of all those, in both the public and private sectors, who have responsibility for safety and health in opencast mining.
The chief of this staff here sets forth some of the health hazards which are connected with a miners working life. The first medical inspector of mines was appointed in 1927thirty years after the first medical inspector of factories. It will identify main it will identify main hazards or hazardous areas in surface mines. Managing occupational health and safety in the mining. The dangers associated with the mining operations are more since they.