Occupational Health Hazard in the Workplace

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The selected organization of this study is UK coal mining company. This is one of the most popular mining companies of UK. They are active in providing variety if mining services which is quite fruitful for UK economy. The company using technology based mining services. Conventional mining is the oldest method of mining. In 2004, the UK adopted a strategy of health safety in the workplace. The basis of the strategy is that the safety and health of workers is an important component of a modern civilized society. Control measures in the workplace are used to prevent or reduce hazards in the workplace. Precautions section of the data sheet provides general information about it. The UK coal mining company must evaluate the hazards of the products used in the workplace and determine controls that allow safe use.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARYII

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Description of the Workplace and Activities1

Identification of an Occupational Health Hazard1

Background Research2

Assessment of Risks4

Risk assessment6

Proposed Control Measures10

REFERENCES13

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Description of the Workplace and Activities

The selected organization of this study is UK coal mining company. This is one of the most popular mining companies of UK. They are active in providing variety if mining services which is quite fruitful for UK economy. The company using technology based mining services. Conventional mining is the oldest method of mining. During the conventional mining process cutting, drilling, and blasting of the coal seam is performed and the produced coal is loaded into cars for transport. The most widely used form of underground mining is continuous mining. This process requires the use of a continuous miner. A continuous miner is a machine that makes drilling and blasting in mines obsolete by cutting the coal from the face of the mine.

Identification of an Occupational Health Hazard

The underground coal mining environment presents many hazards due to the nature of the mining processes. Methane is a gas that naturally occurs in coal mines due to the formation of coal. During mining practices when the coal is disturbed, methane is released into the air. Several mine explosions have been caused by the accumulation of methane in mines. Levy (2006 36) state that air in coal mines that contains between a five and 15 percent concentration of methane and no less than 12.1 percent oxygen will explode if ignition occurs. Although methane is not the only explosion hazard present in coal mines, explosions tend to spread more rapidly with the presence of methane in the air. Continuous ventilation of coal mines is the universal solution to ensure methane is kept at safe levels. Guidotti (2011 99) discuss the major factors related to coal mine explosions in the younger years of mining. These factors include insufficient ventilations, smoking, failure to keep dust accumulation under control, lack of gas testing, the incorrect use of black powder during blasting, and open light use. Dry coal dust suspended in the air is also an explosive hazard, and when it is combined with high methane concentrated air, ...