3/21/2018 Silicosis concerns groundless, says extractive industry chief - Quarry Magazine: Quarry Mining and Aggregate News
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MinEx is seeking to dispel community concerns over harmful levels of RCS in quarry dust emissions. Image courtesy: PRPower
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SILICOSIS CONCERNS GROUNDLESS, SAYSEXTRACTIVE INDUSTRY CHIEFPosted February 12, 2018 | By Talia Paz • Staff Journalist
Recent elevated concern about the presence of crystalline silica in quarry dust samples hasprompted the New Zealand extractive industry’s national safety body to address the matterdirectly.
As previously reported by Quarry, the saga began after two independent tests conducted in 2017purportedly indicated traces of respirable crystalline silica (RCS) in dust samples from WinstoneAggregates’ Yaldhurst quarry, in the Canterbury region on the South Island. RCS is known to contributeto the irreversible lung disease silicosis if inhaled over a significant period of time.
In December 2017, Fulton Hogan announced itsintentions to develop a 170ha site in Templeton,west of Christchurch, while building materialssupplier James Hardie applied to quarry onemillion cubic metres of silica sand over 35 yearsat a site in Auckland. Local residents of bothpotential quarry sites have voiced their concernsover the potential adverse health effects of thequarries’ dust emissions after reading reportsabout the Yaldhurst quarry.
However, Wayne Scott, a Past IQA Presidentand now CEO of the National Health and SafetyCouncil for the NZ Mining and Quarry Sector
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"MinEx is active in working toensure workers are protected
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3/21/2018 Silicosis concerns groundless, says extractive industry chief - Quarry Magazine: Quarry Mining and Aggregate News
http://www.quarrymagazine.com/Article/8612/Silicosis-concerns-groundless-says-extractive-industry-chief 2/3
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(MinEx), stated the silicosis fears wereunfounded.
"We need to dispel some of the myths thatquarry dust is laden with RCS," Scott told Quarry, adding that testing to date had shown no evidenceRCS was present at any harmful levels.
"New Zealand's limit on RCS is 0.1mg per cubic metre," Scott said. "Any risk of RCS exposure is to quarryworkers, not neighbours who most often are hundreds of metres from a quarry face with a huge amountof air space between them. MinEx is currently working with WorkSafe [NZ] to continue reducing any riskto quarry workers.
"Another round of monitoring is being undertaken by [Environment Canterbury] at some Canterburyquarries which by mid-year I expect to confirm that RCS is virtually undetectable and no serious healthrisks arise.
“Some residents should get some comfort from that even if others are still seeing things from anemotional perspective,” he added.
Dust management
Scott conceded that while most New Zealand quarries have good dust management practices in place,there are still some operations that need "to lift their game because any dust that emerges from aquarry ... is annoying to close neighbours".
“Dust needs to be better managed by some New Zealand quarries,” Scott said. “[MinEx] accepts thatdust from any source – not just quarries – can cause health issues such as sore throats and nasalbleeding.
“MinEx is active in working to ensure workers are protected by the control of dust emerging in quarryoperations.”
MinEx represents New Zealand’s mining and quarrying industry on matters such as health and safetylegislation, regulations, guidelines and training. In late 2017, the organisation released advice forworkers on how to minimise their exposure to RCS and to manage other safety considerations in theextractive industry, including risk assessment, exposure and health monitoring, and controls.
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3/21/2018 Silicosis concerns groundless, says extractive industry chief - Quarry Magazine: Quarry Mining and Aggregate News
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