Getting ahead of dust control

KOMATSU IS COMMITTED TO HELPING MINE SITES GET CONTROL OF THEIR DUST AND AIR QUALITY THROUGH MITIGATION MEASURES AND SPECIALISED EQUIPMENT.

Australian mine sites are facing increasingly tighter restrictions on air quality and dust control – which means they need to turn to the experts for help.

Komatsu product manager – miners

Darryl Parry sat down with Safe to Work to discuss how the company can help miners get control of dust and dust exposure.

“Dust control is important on every mine site, but it’s especially important to the coal industry,” Parry said.

“Dust control regulations have changed for Queensland and New South Wales, so mines need to tighten up their control measures. The main issue is from a health point of view.

“Black lung (pneumoconiosis) or silicosis have always been a threat to operators, so it’s of the utmost importance that we get on top of these issues.”

To help mines control onsite dust, Komatsu can install a range of products including water surfactant systems and specialised spray systems.

Water surfactant systems lower the surface tension of the water, allowing coal particles to come into contact with it, and specialised sprays create a mist for more efficient dust particle removal.

“We’re seeing a lot of mines being really proactive about their dust control,” Parry said.

“They are going out and doing research into mitigation measures for their specific application.

“Komatsu aids them in fitting those measures onto the equipment that they use.”

The company has also made it possible for mines that buy Komatsu equipment to have these mitigation measures pre-installed.

“We have remote capability and automation in our machines that can help operators keep out of a dusty area,” Parry said.

According to a report prepared by the Cancer Council Queensland in 2021, underground coal miners are more likely to contract lung disease compared to surface coal miners.

Regardless, any rate of lung disease is too high, and Komatsu has committed itself to helping bring the total down.

“Aiding mines in installing dustcontrol measures in their equipment is its own reward,” Parry said.

“The fact that companies keep coming to us for installation and our help is a testimony in itself.”

Stories about silicosis and lung disease can be easier to focus on than the positive news, but Komatsu is dedicated to changing that narrative.

“Protecting your most important assets – your people – should be top of mind for every mine,” Parry said.

“And dust-control mitigation measures go a long way in protecting every employee.”