Safety & Health in the Stone Crushing Industry - Occupational ...

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PPE might be needed throughout the stone crushing unit. It is needed to protect from:
- accidents and injuries, for instance falls or hand injuries
- noise
- dust
Solutions to protect health
Identify which PPE is needed for which job. These job-specific PPE should then be required for
all employees at that job. You might need advice from occupational health experts to select
the proper PPE for different tasks.
Ensure that PPE is used properly and regularly
Effective PPE program should be implemented to instruct employees on the importance of
using PPE and the appropriate way to don and doff PPE equipment
Wherever possible, sun protection in the form of shade should be provided, for instance a
covered shed for tally clerk
Provide cost effective rubber-soled shoes, hard hat, gloves, and goggles to the loader
Make a wind sock with available material at site and fix it at the top most point; this will help
persons working to place themselves in such a way to avoid the dust flow
Masks against the dust are expensive and very uncomfortable. It is much less expensive and
cost-effective to reduce the dust using engineering controls and dust reduction methods (see
other chapters in this manual). Nose pads or cloths are not effective. The nose mask with
changeable filters is more appropriate, however it is quite expensive. Wearing it the whole day
is very uncomfortable. You need to consult with occupational health experts if you want to
choose an appropriate respirator mask for the employees
Different kinds of masks to protect from dust and fumes
All those deployed in and around the crushing units and in particular those working near the
vicinity of the crusher should wear the following:
− Hard hats for all employees: Helmets are not expensive and could be replaced once in a
year and whenever they are damaged
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Safety shoes: Protect from falling objects, as well as sharp stone pieces for those
working in the plant
Gloves: For those handling boulders from the truck and at the loading points
Goggles: To avoid fine stone dust entering the eyes which can create eye rashes,
burning and cause chronic eye inflammation
Noise Control PPE: This is crucial for those working near crushers