The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) issued the following health alert.
Diesel Particulate Matter (DPM)
The exhaust from diesel engines contains a mixture of gases and very small particles that can create a health hazard when not properly controlled.
What is Diesel Particulate Matter (DPM)?
- DPM is a component of diesel exhaust that includes soot particles made up primarily of carbon, ash, metallic abrasion particles, sulfates and silicates.
- Diesel soot particles consist of elemental carbon andorganic carbon compounds.
What are the health effects of DPM?
- Prolonged DPM exposure can increase the risk of cardiovascular, cardiopulmonary, respiratory disease and lung cancer.
- Short term exposure to high concentrations of diesel exhaust can cause headache, dizziness, and irritation of the eye, nose and throat.
Engineering controls:
- Installing cleaner burning engines.
- Performing routine preventive maintenance of diesel engines to minimize emissions.
- Using special fuels or fuel additives (e.g., biodiesel).
- Provide increased ventilation where diesel engines are operated.
- Providing equipment cabs with filtered air.
Administrative controls:
- Restricting the amount of diesel-powered equipment and total engine horsepower operating in a given area and ensure that the number of vehicles operating in an area does not exceed the capacity of the ventilation.
- Restricting unnecessary idling of engines.
- PPE and respirator use should be the “last line of defense” in the hierarchy of controls.