Health Hazard due to Mining and its Prevention and Control Measures

Sunil Nakra and Rajesh Arora

Surat Lignite Power Project
Gujarat Industries Power Company Limited,
Nani-Naroli, Surat – 394110, Gujarat, India.

Abstract
Health hazards due to Mining are becoming more pervasive with increased mechanization and
automation. Now-a days, dust, noise and vibrations are major causes of sickness. In view of the
Health hazards due to mechanization, proper policy and programme for health and safety should
be strategically framed and ethically implemented in the mining industry.

This paper addresses Health hazards due to Mining and the key issues in Health Hazard
Prevention and Control Measures in Mining Industry.

1.0 Introduction
Work-related accidents and disease continue to be serious problems throughout the world.
Workers suffer about 250 million accidents a year and at least 335,000 die as a result of accident
at work. Moreover, there are about 160 million cases of occupational diseases. Taking accidents
and diseases together, the result is about 1 million work-related deaths each year. The
consequential economic losses are enormous and the social damage to shattered families and
communities are incalculable. About 4% of global GDP is spent on treatment, disability payments
and survivor’s benefits.

Barring isolated ups and downs, the accident curves for accidents in mining industry are
stubbornly maintain a flat profile for the past two decades or so. While on other hand Safety and
Occupational Health problems are likely to get compounded in the coming years, modern society
on the other hand is demanding a more safe and decent place of work than ever before. It must be
understood at this point that our ability to improve health and safety standards in mining industry
is directly related to change according to requirements of the industry-a process, which is
evolutionary in nature.

2.0 Health Hazard due to Mining

Health hazards due to Mining are becoming more pervasive with increased mechanization and
automation. Now-a days, dust, noise and vibration are major causes of sickness. Moreover, the
evolving nature of work is generating new occupational hazards-musculo-skelton problems, stress
and mental problems, asthmatic and other allergic reactions, and problems caused by exposure to
hazardous and carcinogenic agents such as asbestos, chemicals and radiation.
Broadly the occupational health hazards due to mechanisation in mining are of three types as
follow:
1. Physical
2. Chemical and
3. Biological
 1. Physical Health Hazards:
It includes as follow:
 Noise & Vibration
 Heat & Humidity
 Radiation
 Posture
 Dust

2. Chemical Health Hazards:

It includes as follow:
 Dust
 Gases
 Fumes
 Chemicals

3. Biological Health hazards:

It includes as follow:
 Bacteria
 Fungi
 Viruses

The various conditions that may have detrimental effects on the health of the persons engaged in
mines are listed in the subsequent section.

1. Dust: All dusts, if inhaled in large quantity, under suitable condition, may give rise to
some form of lung disease. In coal mines, injury to health may be caused by silica dust
leading to Silicosis, coal dust leading to Coal Miners’ Pneumoconiosis.

2. Noxious Gases: The fumes from explosives contain highly poisonous nitrous fumes,
which may sometime result in death of work person. The fumes from gob-fires in
underground mines includes carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, water vapour, hydrogen
sulphide, smoke and tarry vapour – which are highly poisonous.

3. Heat and Humidity: These conditions may exist in deep and mechanised mines. The
health of workman is affected by heavy perspiration in high temperatures, causing loss of
salt from the blood and gradual weakening. Profuse sweating and loss of chlorides may
bring heat cramp and heat collapse to the worker.

4. Wet Condition: Workmen may suffer from rheumatism, bronchial troubles and general
ill health. The trouble is accentuated if the men travel outbye along the intake airways, so
becoming chilled.

5. Defective Illumination: In poor lighting visual fatigue results from stress on visual
system. Nystagmus may be caused result from stress on visual system. This affects may
be caused due to working in lower illumination. This affects the muscles and nerves of
the eyes associated with oscillation of eyeballs.
 6. Noise and Vibration: Noisy occupations cause nervous irritability and strain and in
certain circumstances noise may cause a decreased electrical resistance in the skin,
reduction of gastric activity or electromyography evidence of increased muscle tension.
The problem exists while operating the pneumatic drills, near heavy earth moving
machinery operations, screening and breaker plant, etc.

7. Infection by Micro-Organisms: In the dirty conditions underground render miners

liable to suffer from Inflammatory diseases like BEAT KNEE, BEAT BLOW, etc., Skin
diseases like DERMATITIS and BOILS, ANKYLOSTOMIASIS caused by certain kind
of worms which enters the body through the skin via the blood into the intestines.

3.0 Health Hazard Prevention and Control Measures

Occupational health should aim at, the promotion and maintenance of higher degree of physical,
mental and social well-being of workers in all occupation, prevention among workers of
departures from health caused by their working conditions; the protection of workers in their
employment from risks resulting from factors adverse to the health.

In view of the Health hazards due to mechanization in mines, proper policy and programme for
health and safety should be strategically framed and ethically implemented in the mining
industry. However, the traditional means for improving Occupational Health Survivelance is
perhaps too slow and ineffective to meet the demand of growing standards of occupational
Health. There is certainly need to go for quantum of jump to meet the demands of society for
better work place as well as to achieve the standards. The issue is how to achieve these
objectives. Some of the ideas to meet the objectives are given below:

The subsequent section address the key issues in Health Hazard Prevention and Control Measures
in mining industry.

3.1 Technical Change

Technical and organizational changes in mining industry have been marked by greater
mechanization and a trend towards automation, with large concentrations of energy in plant and
equipment. Greater mechanization has resulted in a move from individual work person, each with
his own job, to a complex interaction of closely coupled, tightly paced processes involving
several people.

New technology has had a positive impact on the number and severity of accidents and diseases-
an impact that has been developed and sustained over many years. But the effects have not been
uniform. Some new technologies have been accompanied by new or intensified hazards-such as
dust, noise, vibration, ergonomics-related problems and electric current-that require special
attention.

In view of the human factor involvement in technical change, the importance of education and
training and of instilling a safety culture is given due importance.

3.2 Health as well as Safety

It is fair to say that workers’ health has often received less attention than their safety and that
there is little awareness of the enormous cost of occupational health to the small and large mining
industry and to the general public. Occupational diseases are becoming more pervasive with
increased mechanization and automation. Now-a days, noise and vibration are major causes of
sickness.
The three key areas of occupational health-testing, diagnosis and control-are being approached
differently in different countries. At the national level, an approach that is fair to all is necessary;
one that is practical, cost-effective and sustainable; and one that is philosophically; legally and
morally as well as is effective in reducing exposure and mitigating the effects.

Moreover, Systems must be put in place that will identify the health problems due to, or made
worse by, work activities, and establish priorities for addressing them. Relevant information
should be collected and used as the basis for managing ill health. The workforce must be advised
of the specific health risks they face and what to do about them. Staff should be trained to target
ill health continually and apply their skills better to protect themselves. The effectiveness of
actions taken should be monitored –feedback-and outputs and inputs measured. The commitment
of those involved must be gained and held.

3.3 Perceptions and Behaviour

Factors that affect safe behaviour and better work place include:
 The design of systems, machinery, equipment;
 The working environment; and
 The organization and its relationship to the individual.

Any programme to promote safe behaviour and better work place must address all three.

Experience has shown that significant improvements in occupational health and safety are not just
a matter of technology; they are also a matter of culture. The progressive integration of safety
principles and reflexes into the workplace is a fundamental prerequisite for any improvement in
the incidence of occupational accidents, injuries and disease. Unfortunately, a safety culture and
an awareness of the positive values of a safe and healthy working environment in terms of
economic benefits and social justice are minimal or nonexistent in many industries, particularly in
smaller enterprises. The socio-culture aspects of health and safety in industry will be the forefront
in the future, if improvements in performance are to be sustained.

To this end, there should be sound codes of practice for health and safety standards and a
commitment to ensure that health and safety have adequate resources. Managers at all levels must
regularly assess performance, and the factors that influence the behaviour of mangers; supervisors
and workers must be properly managed.

3.4 Education and Training

Education and training are the foundations for enabling improvement in occupational health.

There is a clear link between poor or inadequate education and training and poor health.
Competency-based training has facilitated the introduction of health competencies into various
industry competency standards.

3.5 Risk Assessments and Management

Since human behaviour holds the key to further improvements, greater efforts will need to be
directed towards promoting an understanding of risk assessment, risk management and safety
audits that are specifically based on the behavioural contribution to accidents and health hazards.
The purpose of introducing risk management is to improve health and safety. The primarily
purpose of a systematic risk assessment of existing operations is the comprehensive identification
of the hazards associated with a particular task or operation, the risk associated with those
hazards and a list of a appropriate risk control measures.

3.6 Employee health, sanitation and recreation

In the Industry, its fact healthy work persons can achieve best results. Since employees are as
important as any one else for achieving the desire goal, management should show pay equal
concern for the health of employees. The following actions have been suggested in this regard:

 Employee health: Services of company’s doctor should be provided to employees and their
families at no cost.

 Medical examination: All employees are subjected to medical examination before inducting
them into the regular workforce. Periodical medical examination should also be conducted
whenever it falls due.

 Occupational Health Hazard Survey: Regular survey for noise, light, dust as well as
critical identified hazards area and other environmental aspects should be carried out and
remedial measures take immediately.

 Sanitation: Regular inspection of colony will be made by Company’s welfare Officer and
Doctor for ascertaining the standard of house keeping, sanitation, drainage, drinking water,
quality of food, and hygiene. A close monitoring of the incidences of sickness should also
taken into account.

4.0 Health and Safety Policy and Programme

A health and safety policy should be laid down by every organization, the prime features of the
policy will as follow:

 Operations and Systems are to be designed to reduce or eliminate hazard, and working
conditions are to be improved by adopting changes in technology.
 Financial resources will be made available to implement health and safety
plan/programmes. Plans will be devised on annual and on a longer-term basis.
 Set up joint and tripartite consultation meetings on Health and Safety matters, a
framework for the execution of the health and safety policy, audit and its implementation.
 Continuous institutional education/training for all employees, emphasizing on health
hazards and control.
 Improving living conditions and health of all employees both in and outside the Mining
area.

5.0 Conclusions
 Health hazard due to Mining is becoming more pervasive with increased mechanization
and automation. Now-a days, dust, noise and vibration are major causes of sickness.

 As health and safety regulations becomes less prescriptive and more emphasis is put on
the human factors that affect health and safety performance, a key objective will be to
instil a strong safety culture in all aspects of industry.
 Careful data collection and analysis will enable risk to be identified and managed and
information shared both nationally and internationally. The fostering of closer ties
between manufacturers, regulators, employers, workers’ representatives and the medical
and safety professions, leading to meaningful social dialogue, will pave the way to break
through the ceiling that has led to improvement in health and safety in the Industry.

 Safety, health and environment issues must be considered as an integral part of other
mainstream social priorities, such as health, conditions of work, employment, training,
industrial relations, social security, etc.

 Risk assessment and management for ensuring better safe place and eliminate health
hazards in the mining industry is an important tool for assessment, prioritise and control
the health hazards.

 Financial resources will be made available to implement health and safety

plan/programmes.