Nagpur | Feb 24, 2016: Noise and vibration are known to severely affect miners and National Institute of Miners Health (NIMH) in city has been working on standardizing norms towards minimizing these ill-effects.
Indian School of Mines (ISM), Dhanbad has conducted studies which have shown that besides miners the people living in the vicinity of mines also suffer from various noise-related problems which in worse condition can lead to a person losing his mental balance or even suffer from other psychological and physiological disorders along with noise-induced deafness.
Prof Asim K Pal, scientists from ISM told TOI that studies conducted by the school had shown that both families of employees working in mines, the miners as well as other residents in near vicinity of mines suffer from many health problems related to noise caused from mining activities. "We have taken five major factors into consideration while conducting studies — annoyance and irritation, disturbance in speech conversation, disturbance in sleep and temporary deafness. Gravity of the problem decreases from the first to the fifth," he said.
Pal was in city for a two-day national workshop organized by NIMH on risk assessment of occupational exposure to noise and vibration in mines.
To conduct the study help was sought from 125 experts from the fields of medical sciences, mining engineers and academicians and researchers. A questionnaire was prepared and circulated in people living around mines across the country. Based on the response, five parameters were chosen. "Since audible frequency lies between 20Hz and 20KHz in areas near mines the sound may not be audible between these frequencies if the persons are exposed to noise for a very long period.
NIMH deputy director BB Mandal says that has developed various simulation models to set up 'green barriers' or trees or are also building walls made from sound absorbing materials. "The green barrier is a very good option and works very well," he said.
Earlier, the workshop was formally inaugurated by TK Mandal, director of mines safety, western zone in city. He stressed that noise pollution and vibration hazard in mines are like slow poisoning and you may not know how many persons are affected unless a detailed examination by a qualified physician is carried out.
Mandal stated that DGMS frames guidelines for control of noise and vibration hazards based on past experience and research for strict implementation by mine operators. However, efforts should be made to find out permanent solution instead of superficial remedies to control these hazards at source. He lauded efforts of NIMH for conducting such workshop which is instrumental in spreading awareness among mining organizations.
Dipankar Shome, executive director (Tech) and I/C personnel department of Manganese Ore India Limited (MOIL), as guest of honour, put across industry's perspective on control of noise and vibration hazards. He said industry needs to increase its productivity in today's competitive world but at the same time it must protect life and health of its workers. NIMH director Rajnarayan Tiwari also spoke on the occasion.
(Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/)