What is mining and Safety in mining?
What is Mining ?
Mining is the process of extracting minerals, ores, and other geological substances from the earth's surface. Various techniques such as drilling, blasting, and excavation are used to extract the minerals from the earth's surface. Mining plays an important role in supplying a diverse range of raw materials to various industries. The process of mining began in the prehistoric period when the people started to extract the flint, gold, and copper. Later with the advent of the technological revolution, numerous raw materials have been extracted from the earth's surface with the help of a diverse range of tools.
The substances that are extracted from the earth's surface are usually referred to as minerals. These minerals are inorganic substances that have a particular crystalline structure and chemical composition. The minerals are mixed with rock and other materials thereby when these substances are extracted from the earth's surface they are processed and refined further to obtain the minerals in their purest form.
The major types of mining include surface mining and underground mining. In surface mining the entire surface is blasted then the ores are carried and redefined to obtain the purest form of minerals. This process will create excavations on the earth's surface and can cause damage to the environment and the people living nearby. On the other hand, in underground mining, the minerals are extracted from deep below the surface of the earth. To extract ores, the miners first blast the surface and then create tunnels to travel underground. However, this process is very challenging with the risk of miners getting trapped underground or sustaining an injury.
SAFETY IN MINING
While performing the mining operations it is important to follow certain precautionary measures as it might harm both the environment and the people living nearby. Here are some of the reasons that explain why safety is essential in mining.
Safeguarding Human Life -The mining process will result in the creation of many underground tunnels and open pits. They can be very dangerous, especially for the miners who work on the mining sites and the people who live in the surrounding areas. Therefore, proper precautionary measures need to be followed when mining work is undergoing in a particular area such as keeping the mining safety signs and informing the safety measures to the miners and residents in the vicinity.
Minimizing Environmental Impact -Moreover, mining can disrupt the environment with the release of dust particles and toxic particles into the air. These toxic gasses can contaminate the air quality and can create a health impact on the people living nearby.
Ensuring the health of miners - Miners spend most of their time extracting the minerals from the earth's surface and then processing them further to access the purest minerals. During this process, they are exposed to dust, chemicals, and many more toxic substances. Their health would be impacted by inhaling these toxic gasses. Therefore, it is pivotal to follow certain safety measures. Moreover, supplying the proper ventilation, PPE equipment, and constant monitoring will be highly effective in reducing health hazards.
Legal Compliance - Following the rules and regulations that are set by the regulatory bodies will be highly beneficial to prevent damage to the environment and also help in preventing injuries to the miners.
Cost Savings - Investing in the safety measures would require the prior costs but it will be helpful in the long run as it can prevent damage to both the miners and the environment.
The extraction of minerals from the earth's surface is a very tedious process. Miners who work relentlessly often face a lot of challenges such as inhaling toxic gasses, working in an unsafe environment, and facing severe injuries. The earth's surface is also getting depleted as a result of mining thereby it is very pivotal to follow certain precautionary measures, rules, and regulations to minimize the damage to the environment, and miners.
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