Read Chris Davis’ presentation on “Diesel fumes: Are they the next Asbestos? What can we do about it?”
Presented in Melbourne on 12 August 2019 at the Melbourne Branch Technical Talk.
Diesel engines generate large volumes of soot and fumes. Research has found that these particles pose a severe and chronic health issue for workers – especially those operating in underground hard rock mines.
It has been long-recognised that breathing in coarser carbon particles (~2 microns in size) can cause black lung and pneumoconiosis; however, what is much less-well known is that the associated nano diesel particles (nDP, 0.05 microns) are much more insidious and systemic – as they can penetrate the entire body and cause other illnesses in the longer term.
Information on the subject of nDP is riddled with half-truths from regulators, equipment manufacturers and filter suppliers.
Chris will unravel the riddle and will discuss what mine owners can do to minimise the harm to their workers.
About the Speaker:
Chris Davis has worked in the mining industry for 50 years as a miner, mining engineer, mine manager, managing director and consultant. He sat on the Western Australian mining industry advisory committee (the committee providing advice to government about health and safety) from 2012 -2018, where he initiated an ongoing investigation programme into nano diesel particles. This has led to the world’s most extensive study of nDP in an underground mine. Chris is also currently on the Board of the AusIMM.
