Dust can be a health hazard to mine employees, and needs therefore to be suppressed.
| Impact | Action |
|---|---|
| Radioactive dust could accumulate in the underground mine and increase the radiation exposure of employees if breathed in or ingested. | The underground mine has a very efficient dust extraction system (see section above on radon). Also, dusty areas are regularly wet down. |
|
Mine vehicles may raise dust when driving around the mine-site. Also, radioactive dust could blow from the surface of the tailings retention system. |
Water trucks are used to spray mine roads with water. The water used is local ground water (ie not artesian water), which is too salty for domestic purposes or for use in the processing mill. The tailings surface forms a hard crust that does not produce dust. Dust levels around the mine, plant, tailings area and town are monitored by the company and by government authorities. The radioactivity of the dust is also measured. |
|
Dust containing radioactive materials may be produced in areas where the uranium concentrate is packed into steel drums prior to transport to Adelaide. |
Air is ventilated from the calcining and packaging areas to high efficiency scrubbers to remove dust. As a secondary precaution employees wear special breathing apparatus called airstream helmets when operating in these areas. In addition, all drums are brushed and scrubbed after packing and sealing. This ensures no uranium-bearing dust is transported out of the mine site on the outside surfaces of the steel drums. |
This worker is sealing a drum of uranium oxide for transport to Adelaide, and wearing an airstream helmet to prevent breathing of any radioactive dust.
As a result of these safety and environmental precautions workers at Olympic Dam are exposed to levels of radiation that are less than half of the internationally recommended maximum safe levels.
