Mining Publication: Summary of Longwall and Continuous Miner Section Noise Studies in Underground Coal Mines
Original creation date: November 2006
Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) in mine workers, especially underground coal miners, continues to be a problem in the mining industry. The recently enacted MSHA noise standard, Part 62 - Occupational Noise Exposure (Federal Register, 1999), is aimed at reducing NIHL in the mining industry. The U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is conducting a cross-sectional survey of noise sources and worker noise exposures to address NIHL in various aspects of coal mining including surface mining, coal preparation plants and underground mining. In underground bituminous coal mining, noise surveys, consisting of full-shift worker noise exposure, time-motion studies and equipment noise profiling, have been completed on longwall and continuous miner sections in six underground coal mines. The studies revealed widely varying shift-to-shift worker exposures, with workers in certain occupations routinely exposed to potentially hazardous levels of noise. A summary of these studies is reported, including worker dose, source/dose relationships and equipment noise profiles.
Authors: DR Babich, ER Bauer
Peer Reviewed Journal Article - November 2006
NIOSHTIC2 Number: 20031193
Min Eng 2006 Nov; 58(11):41-46
See Also
- Development and Evaluation of a Urethane Jacketed Tail Roller for Continuous Mining Machines
- Engineering Noise Controls for Longwall Mining Systems
- Noise and Hearing Protection: Development of Two Training Exercises for Drillers
- Noise Exposure in Longwall Mining and Engineering Controls Research
- Noise Source Identification on a Continuous Mining Machine
- Noise Source Identification on a Horizontal Vibrating Screen
- Snapshot of Noise and Worker Exposures in Sand and Gravel Operations
- Water Well Safety Bits: Health And Safety Information For The Water Well Industry
- What Does a Hearing Loss Sound Like?
- Working in Noise with a Hearing Loss: Perceptions from Workers, Supervisors, and Hearing Conservation Program Managers
- Content source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Mining Program