I was at another rock crushing site this week. This company has a mobile crusher that can crush some nice sized rocks. Which, by the way, is unique, since most crushers that can handle these size rocks take various cones, belts and screens.  Air sampling conditions were definitely not “worst case” due to morning mist and cloudy conditions for almost the entire day. However, any dust that was generated was most likely from the crusher- not gravel trucks, haul trucks, or wind. We did perform airborne silica monitoring and noise dosimetry on the crushing crew.

I did emphasize some easy, but usually overlooked, tips for the crew:

  • keep the doors closed! (this reduces dust and noise)
  • keep the radio and CB turned down as low as you can
  • backup alarms should point to the back (not at the cab)
  • wear hearing protection in high noise areas (around generators)