Considerations for the Adoption of Real-Time Particulate Monitoring

Summary

• Mining presents various hazards that can be of significant consequence, one being the exposure to airborne particulates in the workplace, which could potentially result in chronic respiratory illnesses such as silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), coal workers pneumoconiosis, asbestosis.
• The industry continues to apply critical control management (CCM) principles to reduce exposures, however, more needs to be done.
• To assist with the efficacy of CCM (to manage and verify controls to achieve effective implementation), quicker interventions are required when controls are shown to be failing or ineffective. Real-time particulate monitoring (RTPM) is a proactive and effective tool for preventing hazardous airborne particulate exposures, mitigating associated risks, and validating controls.
• RTPM has the potential to provide an effective means to verify the effectiveness of relevant critical controls which can also facilitate more responsive corrective actions. RTPM can also be an effective tool to protect workforces, by empowering workers to act for themselves in real-time when faced with exposure to harmful particulates
• This document provides a useful starting point for industry to align on and communicate user requirements of particulate real-time monitoring technology. It is not intended to be an industry standard or guidance.