WorldWide Drilling Resource

Other Uses for Coffee Filters 2 Use pieces of a coffee filter to apply to razor nicks after shaving. 2 A lint-free coffee filter can be used to apply shoe polish. 2 Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when adding fluids to your car. New Tool for Miners Adapted from Information by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; and FLIR Systems, Inc. Underground miners are exposed to high levels of diesel exhaust on a daily basis. Some of the health risks associ- ated with exposure to elevated diesel exhaust concentrations include eye and nose irritation, headaches, nausea, and asthma. Diesel particulate matter (DPM) has been classified as a possible car- cinogen by both the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Environmental ProtectionAgency. Diesel engines are a major contrib- utor to elevated concentrations of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, oxides of nitro- gen, and hydrocarbons in underground mines. Due to the enclosed workspace, underground miners can be exposed to more than 100 times the typical environ- mental concentration of diesel exhaust and more than 10 times what might be found in other workplaces. The Office of Mine Safety and Health Research (OMSHR) is working to reduce respiratory diseases in miners associated with diesel emissions by reducing miners' exposure to these emissions in under- ground mines. This includes evaluating methods to control emissions from diesel equipment, and new monitoring tech- niques to identify exposure limits to re- duce potential overexposures. One option to continuously monitor personal exposure to DPM in underground mines is a device called the Airtec mon- itor. The Airtec monitor is a compact and highly portable real-time elemental car- bon (EC) monitor designed to determine DPM exposure in underground mines. It uses a real-time particle capture and light transmission me t h o d w h i c h closely correlates with NIOSH 5040 t e s t r e s u l t s t o measure EC and TC (total carbon) levels in under - ground mines. A i r t e c i s designed to allow t he ope r a t o r t o take immediate action to address a problem area w i t h i n a m i n e . Levels can also be tracked over time to determine the possibi l ity of long-term health hazards and help eliminate the risks associated wi th overexposure. Some of the f ea t u r es o f t he Airtec monitoring device include: j May be worn on a belt or mounted 50 NOVEMBER 2014 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® on a wall or cab j Compact, highly portable design j Li-ion rechargeable battery or direct 110/240V AC power j 12-hour continuous operation on one battery In addition, OMSHR research evalu- ated numerous control technologies to reduce emissions from diesel equipment including diesel particulate filters, alter- native fuels (biodiesel), emissions- assisted maintenance programs, and fuel additives. The OMSHR diesel research group will continue laboratory and field evalu- ations of emerging technologies to con- trol diesel emissions including modern engines, exhaust aftertreatment technolo- gies, and alternative fuels.