Presented at the 2017 Mining Health and Safety Conference by Kevin Hedges, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers Inc.
The use of diesel powered plant in underground mining has steadily increased since the 1960s. Diesel emissions pose both short-term and long-term risks to health, ranging from headaches, irritation and nausea to respiratory diseases like lung cancer. Irritation and the aggravation of asthma can occur from short term exposures. Longer term-cumulative exposure will increase the risk of lung cancer and urinary bladder cancer (IARC, 2013). This presentation discusses what is in diesel emission, the increased level of concern to exposure to diesel particulate matter (DPM), the risk of exposure, and it outlines what we can do to reduce exposure. In addition, the presentation discusses the occupational exposure limits for DPM in Canada.