PERSONAL NOISE EXPOSURE ON UNDERGROUND MINING WORKERS

Abstract

Nowadays, as result of improvements in technology through higher labour productivity, continuous production methods and operating flexibility, mechanization has also advanced rapidly in open pits and underground mines, as well as, in mineral processing plants. In parallel to this improvement, occupational noise level in the mining industry have shown a noticable increase. Development of modern mechanized operations in mining industry has been considerably decreasing the physical burden of work, but the most undesired and unavoidable by-product of these operations is the higher noise levels.

This paper presents the results of personal noise exposure of workers in mineral processing plant in underground mines.